THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 


Gift  U.C.  Library 


The   Meaning   of  Prayer 


HARRY  EMERSON  FOSD1CK 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  MANHOOD  OP  THE  MASTER,"  MTH>  ASSUKAWCB 
OF  IMMORTALITY,"  "THK  SECOND  MILE" 


Whh  Introduction  by 

JOHN  R.  MOTT 


Association  $)rea6 

N«w  YORK:    124  EA»T    28TH    STRMT 

LONDON  :   47  PATERNOSTER  Row,  E.  C. 

1916 


INTRODUCTION 

These  meditations  and  studies  on  prayer  are  most  timely. 
Never  have  there  been  such  extensive  and  such  convincing 
evidences  of  the  poverty  and  inadequacy  of  human  means 
and  agencies  for  furthering  the  welfare  of  humanity;  never 
has  there  been  such  a  widespread  sense  of  the  need  of  super- 
human help ;  never  have  there  been  such  challenges  to  Chris- 
tians to  undertake  deeds  requiring  Divine  cooperation ;  never 
has  there  been  such  a  manifest  desire  to  discover  the  secret 
of  the  hiding  and  of  the  releasing  of  God's  power.  Interest 
in  prayer  is  world-wide.  This  is  shown  in  the  prominence 
of  this  subject  in  addresses  and  sermons  in  all  lands,  as  well 
as  by  the  growing  volume  of  books  and  pamphlet  literature  in 
different  languages.  The  multiplication  of  Calls  to  Prayer 
and  of  Prayer  Cycles,  and  the  formation  of  Prayer  Bands 
and  of  Leagues  of  Intercession,  constitute  similar  testimony. 
Among  Christians  everywhere,  and  even  among  many  who 
would  not  call  themselves  believing  Christians,  there  is  being 
manifested  an  earnest  desire  to  understand  what  prayer  is 
and  to  engage  more  fully  in  its  exercise. 

Among  many  recent  writings  on  prayer  possibly  none  does 
more  to  show  its  reasonableness  than  the  following  chapters. 
They  will  answer  the  unanswered  questions  of  many  an  honest 
doubter.  The  daily  arrangement  of  the  material  will  serve 
to  make  the  following  of  this  course  of  studies  a  valuable 
school  of  prayer.  This  suggests  one  of  the  principal  merits 
of  Professor  Fosdick's  treatment  of  the  subject.  It  shows 
clear  recognition  of  the  simple  and  central  fact — a  fact 
apparently  unrecognized  by  so  many — that  prayer  is  something 
the  reality  and  power  of  which  can  be  verified  only  by  pray- 
ing. An  alarming  weakness  among  Christians  is  that  we  are 
producing  Christian  activities  faster  than  we  are  producing 
Christian  experience  and  Christian  faith ;  that  the  discipline 
of  our  souls  and  the  deepening  of  our  acquaintance  with  God 
are  not  proving  sufficiently  thorough  to  enable  us  to  meet  the 

vii 


viii  INTRODUCE  ION 

unprecedented  expansion  of  opportunity  and  responsibility 
of  our  generation.  These  studies  and  spiritual  exercises  in 
helping  men  and  women  to  form  that  most  transforming, 
most  energizing,  and  most  highly  productive  habit — the  habit 
of  Christlike  prayer — will  do  much  to  overcome  this  danger. 

JOHN  R.  MOTT. 


CONTENTS 

PREFACE    xi 

I.    THE  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER I 

II.    PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD 20 

III.  GOD'S  CARE  FOR  THE  INDIVIDUAL 39 

IV.  PRAYER  AND  THE  GOODNESS  OF  GOD 55 

V.    HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES 71 

VI.    PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW 92 

VII.    UNANSWERED  PRAYER  1 13 

VIII.    PRAYER  AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE   133 

IX.    PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD 152 

X.    UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER 172 

SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY 195 


PREFACE 

This  little  book  has  been  written  in  the  hope  that  it  may 
help  to  clarify  a  subject  which  is  puzzling  many  minds. 
Prayer  is  the  soul  of  religion,  and  failure  there  is  not  a  super- 
ficial lack  for  the  supply  of  which  the  spiritual  life  leisurely 
can  wait.  Failure  in  prayer  is  the  loss  of  religion  itself  in 
its  inward  and  dynamic  aspect  of  fellowship  with  the  Eternal. 
Onry  a  theoretical  deity  is  left  to  any  man  who  has  ceased 
to  commune  with  God,  and  a  theoretical  deity  saves  no  man 
from  sin  and  disheartenment  and  fills  no  life  with  a  sense  of 
divine  commission.  Such  vital  consequences  require  a  living 
God  who  actually  deals  with  men. 

In  endeavoring  to  clear  away  the  difficulties  that  hamper 
fellowship  with  this  living  God,  the  book  has  used  the  Scrip- 
ture as  the  basis  of  its  thought.  But  the  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture quoted  are  not  employed  as  proof  texts  to  establish  an 
opinion ;  they  are  uniformly  used  as  descriptions  of  an  experi- 
ence which  men  have  actually  had  with  God.  In  a  study  such 
as  this,  the  Bible  is  the  invaluable  laboratory  manual  which 
records  all  phases  of  man's  life  with  God  and  God's  dealing 
with  man. 

A  debt  of  gratitude  is  due  to  many  books  and  many  friends 
consulted  by  the  author.  In  particular.  Professor  George 
Albert  Coe,  Ph.D.,  of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary, 
New  York  City,  and  Mr.  Frederick  M.  Harris,  of  Association 
Press,  have  given  generously  of  their  time  and  counsel. 

Each  chapter  is  divided  into  three  sections :  Daily  Readings, 
Comment  for  the  Week,  and  Suggestions  for  Thought  and 
Discussion.  This  arrangement  for  daily  devotional  reading 
— "The  Morning  Watch,"  for  intensive  study,  and  for  study 
group  discussion,  has  met  such  wide  acceptance  in  my  pre- 
vious book  that  it  has  been  continued  here. 

Special  acknowledgment  is  gladly  made  to  the  following:  to 
the  Pilgrim  Press  for  permission  to  use  selections  from  Dr. 
Rauschenbusch's  "Prayers  of  the  Social  Awakening" ;  to  E. 


xii  PREFACE 

P.  Button  &  Company  for  permission  to  use  prayers  from 
"A  Chain  of  Prayers  Across  the  Ages" ;  to  the  Rev.  Samuel 
McComb  and  the  publishers  for  permission  to  draw  upon 
"A  Book. of  Prayer,"  Copyright,  1912,  Dodd,  Mead  &  Com- 
pany ;  to  George  W.  Jacobs  &  Company  for  permission  to 
make  quotations  from  "The  Communion  of  Prayer" ;  to  Mrs. 
Mary  W.  Tileston  for  the  use  of  "Prayers  Ancient  and 
Modern" ;  to  Fleming  H.  Revell  for  permission  to  quote 
from  Henry  Ward  Beecher's  "Book  of  Public  Prayer" ;  and 
to  the  author  and  publishers  of  W.  E.  Orchards'  "The 
Temple."  E.  P.  Button  &  Company. 

H.  E.  F. 
June  i,  1915 


CHAPTER  I 

The  Naturalness  of  Prayer 

DAILY  READINGS 

First  Day,  First  Week 

vSamuel  Johnson  once  was  asked  what  the  strongest  argu- 
ment for  prayer  was,  and  he  %  replied,  "Sir,  there  is  no 
argument  for  prayer."  One  need  only  read  Johnson's  own 
petitions,  such  as  the  one  below,  to  see  that  he  did  not  mean 
by  this  to  declare  prayer  irrational ;  he  meant  to  stress  the 
fact  that  praying  is  first  of  all  a  native  tendency.  It  is  a 
practice  like  breathing  or  eating  in  this  respect,  that  men 
engage  in  it  because  they  are  human,  and  afterward  argue 
about  it  as  best  they  can.  As  Carlyle  stated  it  in  a  letter 
to  a  friend  M'Prayer  is  and  remains  the  native  and  deepest 
impulse  of  the  soul  of  man."  Consider  this  universal  tendency 
to  pray  as  revealed  in  "Solomon's  prayer"  at  the  dedication 
of  the  temple : 

Moreover  concerning  the  foreigner,  that  is  not  of  thy 
people  Israel,  when  he  shall  come  from  a  far  country  for 
thy  great  name's  sake,  and  thy  mighty  hand,  and  thine 
outstretched  arm;  when  they  shall  come  and  pray  toward 
this  house;  then  hear  thou  from  heaven,  even  from  thy 
dwelling  place,  and  do  according  to  all  that  the  foreigner 
calleth  to  thee  for;  that  all  the  peoples  of  the  earth  may 
know  thy  name,  and  fear  thee,  as  doth  thy  people  Israel, 
and  that  they  may  know  that  this  house  which  I  have 
built  is  called  by  thy  name. — II  Chron.  6:32,  33. 

Note  how  this  prayer  takes  for  granted  that  any  stranger 
coming  from  anywhere  on  earth  is  likely  to  be  a  praying 
man.  Let  us  say  to  ourselves  on  this  first  day  of  our  study, 

I 


[1-2]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

that  in  dealing  with  prayer  we  are  dealing,  as  this  Scripture 
suggests,  with  a  natural  function  of  human  life. 

"All  souls  that  struggle  and  aspire, 
All  hearts  of  prayer,  by  thee  are  lit; 
And,  dim  or  clear,  thy  tongues  of  fire 
On  dusky  tribes  and  centuries  sit." 

O  Lord,  in  whose  hands  are  life  and  death,  by  whose 
power  I  am  sustained,  and  by  whose  mercy  I  am  spared,  look 
down  upon  me  with  pity.  Forgive  me  that  I  have  until  now 
so  much  neglected  the  duty  which  Thou  hast  assigned  to  me, 
and  suffered  the  days  and  hours  of  which  I  must  give  account 
to  pass  away  without  any  endeavor  to  accomplish  Thy  will. 
Make  me  to  remember,  O  God,  that  every  day  is  Thy  gift, 
and  ought  to  be  used  according  to  Thy  command.  Grant  me, 
therefore,  so  to  repent  of  my  negligence,  that  I  may  obtain 
mercy  from  Thee,  and  pass  the  time  which  Thou  shalt  yet 
allow  me  in  diligent  performance  of  Thy  commands,  through 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen. — Samuel  Johnson  (1709-1784). 

« 
Second  Day,  First  Week 

Epictetus  was  a  non-Christian  philosopher  and  yet  listen 
to  him :  "When  thou  hast  shut  thy  door  and  darkened  thy 
room,  say  not  to  thyself  that  thou  art  alone.  God  is  in  thy 
room."  Read  now  Paul's  appreciation  of  this  hunger  for 
God  and  this  sense  of  his  presence  which  are  to  be  found 
among  all  peoples. 

Ye  men  of  Athens,  in  all  things  I  perceive  that  ye  are 
very  religious.  For  as  I  passed  along,  and  observed  the 
objects  of  your  worship,  I  found  also  an  altar  with  this 
inscription,  "To  an  Unknown  God."  What  therefore  ye 
worship  in  ignorance,  this  I  set  forth  unto  you.  The  God 
that  made  the  world  and  all  things  therein,  he,  being 
Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  dwelleth  not  in  temples  made 
with  hands;  neither  is  he  served  by  men's  hands,  as 
though  he  needed  anything,  seeing  he  himself  giveth  to 
all  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things;  and  he  made  of  one 
every  nation  of  men  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth, 
having  determined  their  appointed  seasons,  and  the  bounds 
of  their  habitation;  that  they  should  seek  God,  if  haply, 
they  might  feel  after  him  and  find  him,  though  he  is  not 


THE  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER  [1-3] 

far  from  each  one  of  us;  for  in  him  we  live,  and  move, 
and  have  our  being;  as  certain  even  of  your  own  poets 
have  said,  For  we  are  also  his  offspring. — Acts  17:22-28. 

Consider  the  meaning  of  the  fact  that  prayer  and  worship 
are  thus  universal;  that  all  peoples  do  "seek  God,  if  haply, 
they  might  feel  after  him  and  find  him."  It  is  said  that  an 
ignorant  African  woman,  after  hearing  her  first  Christian 
sermon,  remarked  to  her  neighbor,  "There !  I  always  told 
you  that  there  ought  to  be  a  God  like  that."  Somewhere  in 
every  man  there  is  the  capacity  for  worship  and  prayer,  for 
the  apprehension  of  God  and  the  love  of  him.  Is  not  this 
the  distinctive  quality  of  man  and  the  noblest  faculty  which 
he  possesses?  How  then  are  we  treating  this  best  of  our 
endowments  ? 

O  Lord  our  God,  grant  us  grace  to  desire  Thee  with  our 
whole  heart;  that  so  desiring  we  may  seek  and  find  Thee;  and 
so  finding  Thee  may  love  Thee;  and  loving  Thee,  may  hate 
those  sins  from  which  Thou  hast  redeemed  us.  Amen. — 
Anselm  (1033-1109). 

*• 

Third  Day,  First  Week 

Prayer  has  been  greatly  discredited  in  the  minds  of  many 
by  its  use  during  war.  Men  have  felt  the  absurdity  of 
praying  on  opposite  sides  of  a  battle,  of  making  God  a 
tribal  leader  in  heaven,  to  give  victory,  as  Zeus  and  Apollo 
used  to  do,  to  their  favorites.  Let  us  grant  all  the  narrow, 
bitter,  irrational  elements  that  thus  appear  in  prayer  during  a 
war,  but  let  us  not  be  blind  to  the  meaning  of  this  momentous 
fact:  whenever  in  national  life  a  time  of  great  stress  comes, 
men,  however  sceptical,  feel  the  impulse  to  pray.  How  natural 
is  Hezekiah's  cry  in  the  siege  of  Jerusalem! 

O  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  that  sittest  above  the 
cherubim,  thou  art  the  God,  even  thou  alone,  of  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth;  thou  hast  made  heaven  and  earth. 
Incline  thine  ear,  O  Jehovah,  and  hear;  open  thine  eyes, 
O  Jehovah,  and  see;  and  hear  the  words  of  Sennacherib, 
wherewith  he  hath  sent  him  to  defy  the  living  God.  Of 
a  truth,  Jehovah,  the  kings  of  Assyria  have  laid  waste 
the  nations  and  their  lands,  and  have  cast  their  gods  into 
the  fire;  for  they  were  no  gods  but  the  work  of  men's 

3 


[1-4]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

hands,  wood  and  stone;  therefore  they  have  destroyed 
them.  Now  therefore,  O  Jehovah  our  God,  save  thou  us, 
I  beseech  thee,  out  of  his  hand,  that  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  earth  may  know  that  thou  Jehovah  art  God  alone. 
— II  Kings  19:15-19. 

Consider  now  the  same  tendency  to  pray  in  a  crisis,  which 
appears  in  the  European  war.  Here  is  a  passage  from  a 
Scotchman's  letter,  describing  the  infidel  in  his  town,  who 
never  went  to  church,  but  who  now  sits  in  the  kirk,  and  is 
moved  to  tears  when  he  hears  the  minister  pray  for  the  king's 
forces,  and  for  the  bereaved  at  home :  "It  was  then  that  my 
friend  stifled  a  sob.  There  was  Something  after  all,  Some- 
thing greater  than  cosmic  forces,  greater  than  law — with  an 
eye  to  pity  and  an  arm  to  save.  There  was  God.  My  friend's 
son  was  with  the  famous  regiment  that  was  swaying  to  and 
fro,  grappling  with  destiny.  He  was  helpless — and  there 
was  only  God  to  appeal  to.  There  comes  an  hour  in  life 
when  the  heart  realizes  that  instinct  is  mightier  far  than 
logic.  With  us  in  the  parish  churches  of  Scotland  the  great 
thing  is  the  sermon.  But  today  it  is  different;  the  great 
thing  now  is  prayer."  So  always  a  crisis  shakes  loose  the 
tendency  to  pray. 

O  Lord  God  of  Hosts,  grant  to  those  who  have  gone  forth 
to  fight  our  battles  by  land  or  sea,  protection  in  danger, 
patience  in  suffering,  and  moderation  in  victory.  Look  with 
compassion  on  the  sick,  the  -wounded,  and  the  captives;' 
sanctify  to  them  their  trials,  and  turn  their  hearts  unto  Thee. 
For  Thy  dear  Son's  sake,  O  Lord,  pardon  and  receive  the 
dying;  have  mercy  upon  the  widow  and  fatherless,  and  com- 
fort all  who  mourn.  O  gracious  Father,  who  makest  wars 
to  cease  in  all  the  world,  restore  to  us,  Thy  people,  speedily 
the  blessing  of  peace,  and  grant  that  our  present  troubles  may 
be  overruled  to  Thy  glory,  in  the  extension  of  the  Redeemer's 
Kingdom,  and  the  union  of  all  nations  in  Thy  faith,  fear,  and 
love.  Hear,  O  Lord,  and  answer  us;  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 
Amen. — E.  Hawkins  (1789-1882). 

Fourth  Day,  First  Week 

H.  Clay  Trumbull  tells  us  that  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War, 
wounded  in  a  terrific  battle  at  Fort  Wagner,  was  asked  by 

4 


THE  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER  [I-4] 

an  army  chaplain,  "Do  you  ever  pray?"  "Sometimes,"  was 
the  answer ;  "I  prayed  last  Saturday  night,  when  we  were 
in  that  fight  at  Wagner.  I  guess  everybody  prayed  there." 
Consider  how  inevitably  the  impulse  to  pray  asserts  itself 
whenever  critical  danger  comes  suddenly  upon  any  life.  In 
view  of  this,  read  the  Psalmist's  description  of  a  storm  at  sea : 

They  that  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships, 

That  do  business  in  great  waters; 

These  see  the  works  of  Jehovah, 

And  his  wonders  in  the  deep. 

For  he  commandeth,  and  raiseth  the  stormy  wind, 

Which  lifteth  up  the  waves  thereof. 

They  mount  up  to  the  heavens,  they  go  down  again  to 

the  depths: 

Their  soul  melteth  away  because  of  trouble. 
They  reel  to  and  fro,  and  stagger  like  a  drunken  man, 
And  are  at  their  wits'  end. 
Then  they  cry  unto  Jehovah  in  their  trouble. 

— Psalm  107 :  23-28.    .< 
I 

Remember  those  times  in  your  experience  or  observation 
when  either  you  or  some  one  else  has  been  thrown  back  by 
an  emergency  upon  this  natural  tendency  to  pray  in  a  crisis. 
Consider  what  it  means  that  this  impulse  to  pray  is  not 
simply  age-long  and  universal;  that  it  also  is  exhibited  in 
every  one  of  us — at  least  occasionally.  How  natural  as 
well  as  how  noble  is  this  prayer  of  Bishop  Ridley  during  the; 
imprisonment  that  preceded  his  burning  at  the  stake! 

O  Heavenly  Father,  the  Father  of  all  wisdom,  understand- 
ing, and  true  strength,  I  beseech  Thee,  for  Thy  only  Son 
our  Savior  Christ's  sake,  look  mercifully  upon  me,  wretched 
creature,  and  send  Thine  Holy  Spirit  into  my  breast;  that  not 
only  I  may  understand  according  to  Thy  wisdom,  how  this 
temptation  is  to  be  borne  off,  and  with  what  answer  it  is  to 
be  beaten  back;  but  also,  when  I  must  join  to  fight  in  the 
field  for  the  glory  of  Thy  name,  that  then  I,  being  strength- 
ened with  the  defence  of  Thy  right  hand,  may  manfully 
stand  in  the  confession  of  Thy  faith,  and  of  Thy  truth,  and 
may  continue  in  the  same  unto  the  end  of  my  life,  through 
the  same  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.— Bishop  Ridley 
(1500-1555)- 


[1-5]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

Fifth  Day,  First  Week 

The  instinctive  turning  of  the  heart  to  a  "Power  not  our- 
selves" is  often  felt,  not  alone  in  crises  of  peril,  but  in  the 
presence  of  great  responsibility,  for  which  a  man  unaided 
feels  inadequate.  Despite  Solomon's  shallowness  of  life,  there 
were  times  when  something  finer  and  deeper  was  revealed  in 
him  than  his  deeds  would  have  suggested.  When  he  first 
realized  that  the  new  responsibility  of  kingship  was  upon 
him,  how  elevated  the  spirit  of  his  impulsive  prayer ! 

And  now,  O  Jehovah  my  God,  thou  hast  made  thy 
servant  king  instead  of  David  my  father:  and  I  am  but 
a  little  child;  I  know  not  how  to  go  out  or  come  in. 
And  thy  servant  is  in  the  midst  of  thy  people  which  thou 
hast  chosen,  a  great  people,  that  cannot  be  numbered  nor 
counted  for  multitude.  Give  thy  servant  therefore  an 
understanding  heart  to  judge  thy  people,  that  I  may  dis- 
cern between  good  and  evil;  for  who  is  able  to  judge  this 
thy  great  people? — I  Kings  3:7-9. 

As  a  companionpiece  with  this  cry  of  Solomon,  see  Lin- 
coln's revealing  words :'  "I  have  been  driven  many  times  to 
my  knees  by  the  overwhelming  conviction  that  I  had  nowhere 
else  to  go;  my  own  wisdom  and  that  of  all  around  me  seemed 
insufficient  for  the  day."  Whenever  a  man  faces  tasks  for 
which  he  feels  inadequate  and  upon  whose  accomplishment 
much  depends,  he  naturally  turns  to  prayer.  Let  us  imagine 
ourselves  in  Luther's  place,  burdened  with  new  and  crushing 
responsibilities,  and  facing  powerful  enemies,  when  he  cried : 

O  Thou,  my  God!  Do  Thou,  my  God,  stand  by  me,  against 
all  the  world's  wisdom  and  reason.  Oh,  do  it!  Thou  must 
do  it!  Yea,  Thou  alone  must  do  it!  Not  mine,  but  Thine, 
is  the  cause.  For  my  own  self,  I  have  nothing  to  do  with 
these  great  and  earthly  lords.  I  would  prefer  to  have  peaceful 
days,  and  to  be  out  of  this  turmoil.  But  Thine,  O  Lord,  is 
this  cause;  it  is  righteous  and  eternal.  Stand  by  me,  Thou 
true  Eternal  God!  In  no  man  do  I  trust.  All  that  is  of  the 
flesh  and  savours  of  the  flesh  is  here  of  no  account.  God,  O 
God!  dost  Thou  not  hear  me,  O  my  God?  Art  Thou  dead? 
No.  Thou  canst  not  die;  Thou  art  only  hiding  Thyself.  Hast 
Thou  chosen  me  for  this  work?  I  ask  Thee  how  I  may  be 

6 


THE  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER  [1-6] 

sure  of  this,  if  it  be  Thy  will;  for  I  would  never  have  thought, 
in  all  my  life,  of  undertaking  aught  against  such  great  lords. 
Stand  by  me,  O  God,  in  the  Name  of  Thy  dear  Son,  Jesus 
Christ,  who  shall  be  my  Defence  and  Shelter,  yea,  my 
Mighty  Fortress,  through  the  might  and  strength  of  Thy  Holy 
Spirit.  God  help  me.  Amen. — Martin  Luther  (1483-1546). 

Sixth  Day,  First  Week 

And  when  Daniel  knew  that  the  writing  was  signed,  he 
went  into  his  house  (now  his  windows  were  open  in  his 
chamber  toward  Jerusalem) ;  and  he  kneeled  upon  his 
knees  three  times  a  day,  and  prayed,  and  gave  thanks 
before  his  God,  as  he  did  aforetime. — Daniel  6: 10. 

We  are  evidently  dealing  here  with  a  new  element  in 
prayer,  not  apparent  in  our  previous  discussion.  Prayer,  to 
Daniel,  was  not  simply  an  impulsive  cry  of  need,  wrung  from 
him  by  sudden  crises  or  by  overwhelming  responsibilities. 
Daniel  had  done  with  the  impulse  to  pray  what  all  wise 
people  do  with  the  impulse  to  eat.  They  do  not  neglect  it 
until  imperious  hunger  demands  it  to  save  their  lives  or 
until  special  work  absolutely  forces  them  to  it.  They  rather 
recognize  eating  as  a  normal  need  of  human  beings,  to  be 
met  regularly.  So  Daniel  not  only  prayed  in  emergencies  of 
peril  and  responsibility ;  he  prayed  three  times  a  day.  How 
many  of  us  leave  the  instinct  of  prayer  dormant  until  a 
crisis  calls  it  into  activity !  "Jehovah,  in  trouble  have  they 
visited  thee;  they  poured  out  a  prayer  when  thy  chastening 
was  upon  them"  (Isaiah  26:  16).  Consider  how  inadequate 
such  a  use  of  prayer  is. 

/  am  forced,  good  Father,  to  seek  Thee  daily,  and  Thou 
offercst  Thyself  daily  to  be  found:  whensoever  I  seek,  I 
find  Thee,  in  my  house,  in  the  fields,  in  the  temple,  and  in 
the  highway.  Whatsoever  I  do,  Thou  art  with  me;  whether 
I  eat  or  drink,  whether  I  write  or  work,  go  to  ride,  read, 
meditate,  or  pray,  Thou  art  ever  with  me;  wheresoever  I  am, 
or  whatsoever  I  do,  I  feel  some  measure  of  Thy  mercies  and 
love.  If  I  be  oppressed,  Thou  defendest  me:  if  I  be  envied, 
Thou  guardest  me;  if  I  hunger,  Thou  feedcst  me;  whatso- 
ever I  want  Thou  givest  me.  O  continue  this  Thy  loving- 

7 


[1-7]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

kindness  towards  me  for  ever,  that  all  the  world  may  see 
Thy  power,  Thy  mercy,  and  Thy  love,  wherein  Thou  hast 
not  failed  me,  and  even  my  enemies  shall  see  that  Thy  mercies 
endure  forever. — J.  Norden  (1548-1625). 

Seventh  Day,  First  Week 

For  this  cause  I  bow  my  knees  unto  the  Father,  from 
whom  every  family  in  heaven  and  on  earth  is  named,  that 
he  would  grant  you,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  glory, 
that  ye  may  be  strengthened  with  power  through  his 
Spirit  in  the  inward  man;  that  Christ  may  dwell  in  your 
hearts  through  faith;  to  the  end  that  ye,  being  rooted  and 
grounded  in  love,  may  be  strong  to  apprehend  with  all 
the  saints  what  is  the  breadth  and  length  and  height  and 
depth,  and  to  know  the  love  of  Christ  which  passeth 
knowledge,  that  ye  may  be  filled  unto  all  the  fulness  of 
God. — Eph.  3: 14-19. 

Compare  praying  like  this  with  the  spasmodic  cry  of 
occasional  need  and  see  how  great  the  difference  is.  Here 
prayer  has  risen  into  an  elevated  demand  on  life,  unselfish 
and  constant.  It  gathers  up  the  powers  of  the  soul  in  a 
constraining  desire  for  God's  blessing  on  the  one  who  pray? 
and  on  all  men.  What  starts  in  the  pagan  as  an  unregulated 
and  fitful  impulse  has  become  in  Paul  an  intelligent,  persever- 
ing, and  well-directed  habit.  As  power  of  thought  confused 
and  weak  in  an  Australian  bushman,  becomes  in  a  Newton 
capable  of  grasping  laws  that  hold  the  stars  together,  so 
prayer  may  begin  in  the  race  or  in  the  individual  as  an 
erratic  and  ineffective  impulse,  but  may  grow  to  be  a  de- 
pendable and  saving  power.  Consider  how  much  you  under- 
stand this  latent  force  m  your  own  life  and  how  effectively 
you  are  using  it. 

O  God,  Thou  art  Life,  Wisdom,  Truth,  Bounty,  and  Blessed- 
ness, the  Eternal,  the  only  true  Good!  My  God  and  my  Lord, 
Thou  art  my  hope  and  my  heart's  joy.  I  confess,  with  thanks- 
giving, that  Thou  hast  made  me  in  Thine  image,  that  I  may 
direct  all  my  thoughts  to  Thee,  and  love  Thee.  Lord,  make 
me  to  know  Thee  aright,  that  I  may  more  and  more  love, 
and  enjoy,  and  possess  Thee.  And  since,  in  the  life  here 
below,  I  cannot  fully  attain  this  blessedness,  let  it  at  least 

8 


THE  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER  [I-c] 

grow  in  me  day  by  day,  until  it  all  be  fulfilled  at  last  in  the 
life  to  come.  Here  be  the  knowledge  of  Thee  increased,  and 
there  let  it  be  perfected.  Here  let  my  love  to  Thee  grow,  and 
there  let  it  ripen;  that  my  joy  being  here  great  in  hope,  may 
there  in  fruition  be  made  perfect.  Amen. — Anselm  (1033- 
1109). 

COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 
I 

When  any  one  undertakes  to  study  the  meaning  and  to 
cultivate  the  habit  of  prayer,  it  is  well  for  him  to  understand 
from  the  beginning  that  he  is  dealing  with  a  natural  function 
of  his  life  and  not  with  an  artificial  addition.  Raising  palm 
trees  in  Greenland  would  be  an  unnatural  proceeding.  They 
never  were  intended  to  grow  there,  and  never  can  grow  there 
save  under  stress  of  artificial  forcing.  The  culture  of  prayer 
would  be  just  as  strained  a  procedure,  were  it  not  true  that 
the  tendency  to  pray  is  native  to  us,  that  prayer  is  indigenous 
in  us,  that  we  do  pray,  one  way  or  another,  even  though 
fitfully  and  without  effect,  and  that  men  always  have  prayed 
and  always  will  pray.  The  definition  of  man  as  a  "praying 
animal,"  while  not  comprehensive,  is  certainly  correct.  The 
culture  of  prayer,  therefore,  is  not  importing  an  alien,  but  is 
training  a  native  citizen  of  the  soul.  Professor  William  James 
of  Harvard  was  thinking  of  this  when  he  wrote :  ''We  hear 
in  these  days  of  scientific  enlightenment  a  great  deal  of 
discussion  about  the  efficacy  of  prayer ;  and  many  reasons 
are  given  us  why  we  should  not  pray,  whilst  others  are  given 
us  why  we  should.  But  in  all  this  very  little  is  said  of  the 
reason  why  we  do  pray.  .  .  .  The  reason  why  we  do  pray  is 
simply  that  we  cannot  help  praying." 

Our  justification  for  calling  prayer  natural  may  be  found 
in  part,  in  the  universality  of  it.  In  some  form  or  other, 
it  is  found  everywhere,  in  all  ages  and  among  all  peoples. 
The  most  discouraging  circumstances  do  not  crush  it,  and 
theories  of  the  universe  directly  antagonistic  do  not  prevent 
it.  Buddhism,  a  religion  theoretically  without  a  God,  ought 
logically  to  exclude  prayer;  but  in  countries  where  Buddhism 
is  dominant,  prayer  is  present.  Confucius,  a  good  deal  of 
an  agnostic,  urged  his  disciples  not  to  have  much  to  do  with 
the  gods;  and  today  Confucius  is  himself  a  god  and  millions 


[I-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

pray  to  him.  Before  the  tendency  to  pray  all  barriers  go 
down. 

The  traveler  climbs  the  foothills  of  the  Himalayas,  and 
among  the  Khonds  of  North  India  hears  the  prayer :  "O 
Lord,  we  know  not  what  is  good  for  us.  Thou  knowest  what 
it  is.  For  it  we  pray."  The  archeologist  goes  back  among 
the  Aztec  ruins  and  reads  their  prayer  in  affliction :  "O 
merciful  Lord,  let  this  chastisement  with  which  thou  hast 
visited  us,  give  us  freedom  from  evil  and  from  folly."  The 
historian  finds  the  Greek  world  typical  of  all  ancient  civiliza- 
tions at  least  in  this,  that  prayer  is  everywhere.  Xenophon 
begins  each  day's  march  with  prayer ;  Pericles  begins  every 
address  with  prayer ;  the  greatest  of  Greek  orations,  Demos- 
thenes' "On  the  Crown,"  and  the  greatest  of  Greek  poems, 
"The  Iliad,"  are  opened  with  prayer.  When  from  the  super- 
stitious habits  of  the  populace  one  turns  to  the  most  elevated 
and  philosophic  spirits  to  see  what  they  will  say,  he  hears 
Plato,  "Every  man  of  sense  before  beginning  an  important 
work  will  ask  help  of  the  gods."  And  turning  from  Plato's 
preaching  to  his  practice,  he  reads  this  beautiful  petition, 
"King  Zeus,  grant  us  the  good  whether  we  pray  for  it  or  not, 
but  evil  keep  from  us,  though  we  pray  for  it." 

If  today  one  crosses  the  borders  of  Christianity  into 
Mohammedanism,  not  only  will  he  find  formal  prayer  five 
times  daily,  when  the  muezzin  calls,  but  he  will  read  descrip- 
tions of  prayer  like  this  from  a  Sufi — "There  are  three  degrees 
in  prayer.  The  first  is  when  it  is  only  spoken  by  the  lips. 
The  second  is  when  with  difficulty,  by  a  resolute  effort,  the 
soul  succeeds  in  fixing  its  thought  on  divine  things.  The 
third  is  when  the  soul  finds  it  hard  to  turn  away  from  God." 
And  if  from  all  others,  one  looks  to  the  Hebrew  people, 
with  what  unanimous  ascription  do  they  say,  "O  thou  that 
hearest  prayer,  unto  thee  shall  all  flesh  come"  (Psa.  65:2). 
A  man  is  cutting  himself  off  from  one  of  the  elemental 
functions  of  human  life  when  he  denies  in  himself  the 
tendency  to  pray. 

II 

Moreover,  justification  for  calling  prayer  natural  is  found 
in  the  fact  that  mankind  never  outgrows  prayer.  Both  the 
practice  and  the  theory  of  it  have  proved  infinitely  adaptable 
to  all  stages  of  culture.  In  its  lowest  forms,  among  the  most 

10 


THE  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER  [I-c] 

savage  peoples,  prayer  and  magic  were  indistinguishable.  To 
pray  then  was  to  use  charms  that  compelled  the  assent  of 
the  gods.  And  from  such  pagan  beginnings  to  Jesus  in  the 
Garden  or  a  modern  scientist  upon  his  knees,  prayer,  like  all 
other  primary  functions,  has  proved  capable  of  unlimited 
development.  It  has  not  been  crushed  but  has  been  lifted  into 
finer  forms  by  spiritual  and  intellectual  advance.  It  has 
shaped  its  course  like  a  river,  to  the  banks  of  each  genera- 
tion's thought;  but  it  has  flowed  on,  fed  from  fountains  that 
changing  banks  do  not  affect.  Nowhere  is  this  more  plain 
than  in  the  Bible.  Compare  the  dying  prayer  of  Samson,  as 
he  wound  his  arms  around  the  sustaining  pillars  of  the 
Philistine  dining  hall  and  cried :  "O  Lord  Jehovah,  remember 
me,  I  pray  thee,  and  strengthen  me,  I  pray  thee,  only  this 
once,  O  God,  that  I  may  be  at  once  avenged  of  the  Philistines 
for  my  two  eyes"  (Judges  16 : 28)  ;  with  the  dying  prayer  of 
Stephen,  as  he  was  being  stoned,  "Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to 
their  charge"  (Acts  7:60).  Both  are  prayers,  but  they  come 
from  two  ages  between  which  the  revelation  of  God  and  the 
meaning  of  prayer  had  infinitely  widened. 

Both  in  the  Scripture  and  out  of  it,  the  quality  of  prayer 
is  suited  to  the  breadth  or  narrowness  of  view,  the  generosity 
or  bitterness  of  spirit,  which  the  generation  or  the  individual 
possesses.  As  Sabatier  puts  it,  "The  history  of  prayer  is  the 
history  of  religion."  At  one  end  of  the  scale, 

"In  even  savage  bosoms 
There  are  longings,  strivings,  yearnings 
For  the  good  they  comprehend  not; 
And  their  feeble  hands  and  helpless, 
Groping  blindly  in  the  darkness, 
Touch  God's  right  hand  in  that  darkness 
And  are  lifted  up  and  strengthened." 

At  the  other  end  of  the  scale,  Coleridge  says,  "The  act  of 
praying  is  the  very  highest  energy  of  which  the  human  mind 
is  capable";  and  President  Harper  of  the  University  of 
Chicago,  on  his  death-bed  prays :  "May  there  be  for  me  a 
life  beyond  this  life;  and  in  that  life  may  there  be  work  to 
do,  tasks  to  accomplish.  If  in  any  way  a  soul  has  been 
injured  or  a  friend  hurt,  may  the  harm  be  overcome,  if  it  is 
possible."  The  human  soul  never  outgrows  prayer.  At  their 

II 


[I-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

lowest,  men  pray  crudely,  ignorantly,  bitterly;  at  their  best, 
men  pray  intelligently,  spiritually,  magnanimously.  Prayer  is 
not  only  universal  in  extent;  it  is  infinite  in  quality.  A  man 
may  well  give  himself  to  the  deepening  and  purifying  of  his 
prayer,  for  it  is  as  natural  in  human  life  as  thought. 

Ill 

The  naturalness  of  prayer  is  further  seen  in  the  fact  that 
prayer  is  latent  in  the  life  of  every  one  of  us.  At  first  the 
experience  of  some  may  seem  to  gainsay  this.  They  have 
given  up  praying.  They  get  on  very  well  without  it,  and 
when  they  are  entirely  candid  they  confess  that  they  dis- 
believe in  it.  But  they  must  also  confess  that  their  dis- 
belief lies  in  their  opinions  and  not  in  their  impulses.  When 
some  overwhelming  need  comes  upon  them,  their  impulse 
is  still  to  pray. 

Modern  scepticism  has  done  all  that  it  could  to  make 
prayer  unreasonable.  It  has  viewed  the  world  as  a  machine, 
regular  as  an  automaton,  uncontrollable  as  sunrise.  It  has 
made  whatever  God  there  is  a  prisoner  in  the  laws  of  his 
own  world,  powerless  to  assist  his  children.  It  has  denied 
everything  that  makes  prayer  possible;  and  yet  men,  having 
believed  all  that  sceptical  thought  says,  still  have  their  times 
of  prayer.  Like  water  in  an  artesian  well,  walled  up  by 
modern  concrete,  prayer  still  seeps  through,  it  breaks  out; 
nature  is  stronger  than  artifice,  and  streams  flowing  under- 
ground in  our  lives  insist  on  finding  vent.  Sometimes  a  crisis 
of  personal  danger  lets  loose  this  hidden  impulse.  "I  hadn't 
prayed  in  ten  years,"  the  writer  heard  a  railroad  man  ex- 
claim when  his  train  had  just  escaped  a  wreck;  "but  I  prayed 
then."  Sometimes  a  crushing  responsibility  makes  men  pray 
almost  in  spite  of  themselves.  General  Kodoma,  of  the 
Japanese  army  during  the  Russian  war,  used  to  retire  each 
morning  for  an  hour  of  prayer.  When  asked  the  reason,  he 
answered :  "When  a  man  has  done  everything  in  his  power, 
there  remains  nothing  but  the  help  of  the  gods."  Anything — 
peril,  responsibility,  anxiety,  grief — that  shakes  us  out  of 
our  mere  opinions,  down  into  our  native  impulses,  is  likely  to 
make  us  pray. 

This  is  true  of  whole  populations  as  well  as  of  individuals. 
Shall  not  a  war  like  the  appalling  conflict  in  Europe  make 

12 


THd  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER  [I-c] 

men  doubt  God  and  disbelieve  all  good  news  of  him  that 
they  have  heard?  Only  of  far  distant  spectators  is  any 
such  reaction  true.  In  the  midst  of  the  crisis  itself,  where  the 
burdens  of  sacrifice  are  being  borne  and  super-human  endur- 
ance, courage,  and  selflessness  are  required,  the  reaction  of 
men,  as  all  observers  note,  is  accurately  described  in  Cardinal 
Mercier's  famous  pastoral  letter :  "Men  long  unaccustomed  to 
prayer  are  turning  again  to  God.  Within  the  army,  within 
the  civil  world,  in  public,  and  within  the  individual  conscience 
there  is  prayer.  Nor  is  that  prayer  today  a  word  learned  by 
rote,  uttered  lightly  by  the  lip;  it  surges  from  the  troubled 
heart,  it  takes  the  form  at  the  feet  of  God  of  the  very  sacrifice 
of  life."  Whether  in  the  individual  or  in  society,  great 
shocks  that  loosen  the  foundations  of  human  life  and  let  the 
primal  tendencies  surge  up,  always  set  free  the  pent  foun- 
tains of  prayer.  In  the  most  sceptical  man  or  generation 
prayer  is  always  underground,  waiting.  Henry  Ward  Beecher 
was  giving  us  something  more  than  a  whimsical  simile  when 
he  said :  "I  pray  on  the  principle  that  the  wine  knocks  the 
cork  out  of  a  bottle.  There  is  an  inward  fermentation  and 
there  must  be  a  vent."  Even  Comte,  with  his  system  of 
religion  that  utterly  banished  God,  soul,  and  immortality, 
prescribed  for  his  disciples  two  hours  of  prayer  daily,  because 
he  recognized  the  act  itself  as  one  of  the  elemental  functions 
of  human  nature. 

Whether,  therefore,  we  consider  the  universality  of  prayer, 
or  its  infinite  adaptability  to  all  stages  of  culture  and  intel- 
ligence, or  the  fact  that  it  is  latent  in  every  one  of  us,  we 
come  to  the  same  conclusion:  praying  is  a  natural  activity  of 
human  life.  We  may  only  note  in  passing  the  patent  argu- 
ment here  for  the  truth  of  religion. (Can  it  be  that  all  men, 
in  all  ages  and  all  lands,  have  been  engaged  in  "talking 
forever  to  a  silent  world  from  which  no  answer  comes"? 
If  we  can  be  sure  of  anything,  is  it  not  this — that  wherever 
a  human  function  has  persisted,  unwearied  by  time,  un- 
crushed  by  disappointment,  rising  to  noblest  form  and  finest 
use  in  the  noblest  and  finest  souls,  that  function  corresponds 
with  some  Reality?  Hunger  never  cpuld^  have  persisted 
without  food,  nor  breathTng~without  air,  nor  intellectual  life 
without  trufh,  nor  prayer  without  God  Burke  said  that  it 
was  difficult  to  press  an  indictment  against  a  nation.  It  is 
far  more  difficult  to  sustain  a  charge  against  all  mankind!) 

13 


[I-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

IV 

From  this  argument  which  the  naturalness  of  prayer  sug- 
gests, we  press  on,  however,  to  a  matter  more  immediate  to 
our  purpose.  The  fact  that  prayer  is  one  of  our  native 
tendencies  accounts  for  one  peril  in  our  use  of  it.  We  let 
prayer  be  merely  a  tendency,  and  therefore  spasmodic,  occa- 
sional, untrained.  Q\  tragedy  is  always  present  in  any  fine 
function  of  human  nature  that  is  left  undisciplined.  The 
impulse  to  love  is  universal;  but  left  to  be  merely  an  im- 
pulse, it  is  brutal  and  fleshly.  The  love  that  inspires  our 
noblest  poems  and  is  celebrated  in  our  greatest  music,  that 
builds  Christian  homes  and  makes  family  life  beautiful,  is  a 
primal  impulse  trained  and  elevated,  become  intelligent,  dis- 
ciplined, and  consecrated.  The  tendency  to  think  is  universal, 
but  left  as  such,  it  is  but  the  wayward  and  futile  intellect  of 
savages.  Their  powers  of  thinking  are  stagnant,  called  into 
activity  by  accident,  not  well  understood,  carefully  trained, 
and  intelligently  exercised.  So  prayer  left  to  spasmodic  use 
is  a  futile  thing.J  In  the  one-hundred  and  seventh  Psalm,  a 
marvelous  description  of  a  storm  at  sea  ends  with  a  verse 
which  reveals  the  nature  of  impulsive  prayer :  "They  .  .  . 
are  at  their  wits'  end.  Then  they  cry  unto  Jehovah"  (Psalm 
107:  27,  28).  When  prayer  is  left  untrained,  men  pray  only 
when  they  have  reached  their  wits'  end.  In  moments  of 
extreme  physical  danger,  men  who  never  make  a  daily  friend 
of  God,  cry  to  him  in  their  need.  "He  that  will  learn  to 
pray,"  says  George  Herbert,  pithily,  "let  him  go  to  sea";  and 
Shakespeare  in  the  "Tempest,"  knowing  human  nature  as  the 
Psalmist  knew  it,  has  the  sailors,  when  the  storm  breaks,  cry : 
"All  lost !  To  prayers !  To  prayers !  All  lost !"  In  extreme 
moral  danger,  also,  where  pleasant  dalliance  with  evil  has 
run  out  into  the  unbreakable  habit  of  evil,  men  almost  always 
pray.  And  in  death  how  naturally  men  think  of  God!  So 
Dame  Quickly  says  of  the  dying  Falstaff :  "Now  I,  to  comfort 
him,  bid  him  a'  should  not  think  of  God.  I  hoped  there  was 
no  need  to  trouble  himself  with  any  such  thoughts  yet !" 

Prayer,   left  as  an  undisciplined   impulse,   inevitably   sinks 

into    such    a    spasmodic   and    frantic   use.     "When    my    soul 

feinted    within    me,    I    remembered    Jehovah"    (Jonah    2:7). 

(Like   the   old   Greek   dramatists,    men   hopelessly   tangle   the 

\>lot  of  their  lives,  until  at  the  end,  with  a  dilemma  insoluble 

14 


THE  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER  [I-c] 

by  human  ingenuity  and  power,  they  swing  a  god  from  the 
wings  by  machinery  to  disentangle  the  desperate  situation. 
They  use  prayer  as  a  deus-ex-machina,  a  last  resort  when 
they  are  in  extremity*^  In  one  way  or  another,  how  many 
of  us  must  accuse  ourselves  of  this  fitful  use  of  prayer!  One 
of  the  supreme  powers  of  our  lives  is  left  to  the  control  of 
impulse  and  accident,  its  nature  unstudied,  and  its  exercise 
untrained. 


The  baneful  effect  of  this  spasmodic  use  of  prayer  is  easily 
seen.  For  one  thing  it  utterly  neglects  all  Christian  concep- 
tions of  God  and  goes  back  to  the  pagan  thought  of  him. 
God  becomes  nothing  more  than  a  power  to  be  occasionally 
called  in  to  our  help.  This  is  the  conception  of  an  Indian 
woman  bowing  at  an  idol's  shrine.  Her  god  is  power,  mys- 
terious and  masterful,  whose  help  she  seeks  in  her  emergen- 
cies. When,  therefore,  we  pray  as  she  does,  fitfully  running 
to  God  in  occasional  crises,  we  are  going  back  in  substance, 
if  not  in  form,  to  paganism.  We  deserve  Luther's  rebuke 
in  his  sermon  on  praying  to  the  saints :  "We  honor  them 
and  call  upon  them  only  when  we  have  a  pain  in  our  legs 
or  our  heads,  or  when  our  pockets  are  empty."  But  the 
best  of  humanity  have  traveled  a  long  way  from  such  an 
idea  of  deity.  The  Christian  God  desires  to  be  to  every  one 
an  inward  and  abiding  friend,  a  purifying  presence  in  daily 
life,  the  One  whose  moral  purpose  continually  restrains  and 
whose  love  upholds.  Above  all  advances  made  in  human  life 
none  is  so  significant  as  this  advance  in  the  thought  of  God. 
We  have  moved  from  rumbling  oxcarts  to  limited  express 
trains,  from  mud  huts  to  cathedrals,  from  tom-toms  to 
orchestras.  If  we  neglected  these  gains,  we  should  rightly  be 
regarded  as  strange  anachronisms.  Yet  in  our  treatment  of 
God  how  often  are  we  ancient  pagans  born  after  our  time ! 
We  are  examples  of  religious  reversal  to  type.  We  are  mis- 
dated A.  D.  instead  of  B.  C.  when  we  use  God  as  a  power  to 
be  occasionally  summoned  to  our  aid. 

Consider  a  new  parable  of  a  father  and  his  two  sons.  One 
son  looked  upon  his  father  as  a  last  resort  in  critical  need. 
He  never  came  to  him  for  friendly  conference,  never  sought 
his  advice,  in  little  difficulties  never  was  comforted  by  his 

IS 


[I-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

help.  He  did  not  make  his  father  his  confidant.  He  went 
to  college  and  wrote  home  only  when  he  wanted  money.  He 
fell  into  disgrace,  and  called  on  his  father  only  when  he 
needed  legal  aid.  He  ran  his  life  with  utter  disregard  of  his 
father's  character  or  purpose,  and  turned  to  him  only  when 
in  desperate  straits.  The  other  son  saw  in  his  father's  love 
the  supreme  motive  of  his  life.  He  was  moved  by  daily 
gratitude  so  that  to  be  well-pleasing  to  his  father  was  his 
joy  and  his  ideal.  His  father  was  his  friend.  He  confided 
in  him,  was  advised  by  him,  kept  close  to  him,  and  in  his 
crises  came  to  his  father  with  a  naturalness  born  of  long 
habit,  likeQesus,  who  having  prayed  without  ceasing,  now  at 
last  bows  in  Gethsemane!)  Is  there  any  doubt  as  to  which  is 
the  nobler  sonship?  And  is  not  the  former  type  a  true  picture 
of  our  relationship  with  God  when  we  leave  prayer  to  be  a 
merely  instinctive  and  untrained  cry  of  need? 

VI 

For  another  thing,  this  use  of  prayer  as  merely  a  spasmodic 
cry  out  of  an  occasional  crisis,  makes  it  utterly  selfish.  We 
think  of  God  solely  with  reference  to  our  own  emergencies. 
We  never  remember  the  Most  High  except  when  we  wish 
him  to  run  an  errand  for  us.  Our  prayer  does  not  concern 
itself  with  the  fulfilment  of  his  great  purposes  in  us  and  in 
the  world,  and  does  not  relate  itself  to  a  life  devoted  to  his 
will.  In  utter  selfishness  we  forget  God  until  it  occurs  to  us 
that  we  may  get  something  from  him. 

Some  men  treat  God  in  this  respect  as  others  treat  their 
country.  That  regard  for  native  land  which  in  some  has 
inspired  heroic  and  sacrificial  deeds,  appears  in  others  in  the 
disguise  of  utter  selfishness.  Consider  a  man  who  does 
nothing  whatever  for  his  country;  is  not  interested  in  her 
problems ;  is  careless  of  the  franchise,  evades  every  public 
responsibility,  and  even  dodges  taxes.  One  would  suppose 
that  this  man  never  thought  of  his  country  at  all.  Upon  the 
contrary,  there  are  occasions  when  he  thinks  of  her  at  once. 
When  his  person  or  property  is  attacked  and  his  rights 
invaded,  this  same  man  will  appeal  clamorously  to  the  govern- 
ment for  protection.  He  reserves  every  thought  of  his  country 
for  the  hours  of  personal  crisis.  His  relationship  with  his 
government  is  exhausted  in  spasmodic  cries  for  help.  He 

16 


THE  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER  [I-c] 

furnishes  a  true  parallel  to  that  ignoble  type  of  religion,  in 
which  prayer,  left  fitful  and  undisciplined,  is  nothing  more 
than  an  occasional,  selfish  demand  on  God. 

VII 

The  shame  of  leaving  thus  uncultivated  one  of  the  noblest 
functions  of  man's  spirit  is  emphasized  when  we  face  the 
testimony  of  the  masters  in  prayer  concerning  its  possibili- 
ties. What  the  power  of  thought  can  mean  must  be  seen 
in  the  thinkers ;  what  prayer  can  do  must  be  seen  in  the 
pray-ers.  Whenever  they  speak,  language  seems  to  them 
inadequate  to  describe  the  saving  and  empowering  influences 
of  habitual  prayer.  As  in  our  Christian  songs,  where  we 
leave  the  more  superficial  differences  of  opinion  and  go 
down  into  the  essential  spirit  of  worship,  Catholics  and 
Protestants,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  men  of  every  shade  of  special 
belief  and  sectarian  alliance  are  authors  of  the  hymns  we 
all  sing,  so  in  prayer  men  of  opposite  opinions  agree  as  one. 
Luther,  the  Protestant,  is  alien  at  how  many  points  from 
St.  Bernard  the  Catholic,  and  yet  says  Luther — "In  the  faith 
wherein  St.  Bernard  prays,  do  I  pray  also."  Not  only  does 
a  liberal  philosopher,  Sabatier,  say,  "Prayer  is  religion  in 
act ;  that  is,  prayer  is  real  religion" ;  and  a  conservative 
theologian,  Hartmann,  say,  "God  has  given  to  real  prayer 
the  power  to  shape  the  future  for  men  and  the  world";  and 
a  Catholic  poet,  Francis  Thompson,  say,  "Prayer  is  the  very 
sword  of  the  saints" :  even  Professor  Tyndall,  the  scientist, 
who  was  regarded  by  the  Christians  of  his  generation  as  the 
most  aggressive  antagonist  of  prayer,  says :  "It  is  not  my 
habit  of  mind  to  think  otherwise  than  solemnly  of  the  feelings 
which  prompt  to  prayer.  Often  unreasonable,  even  contempt- 
ible, in  its  purer  forms  prayer  hints  at  disciplines  which  few 
of  us  can  neglect  without  moral  loss."  If  there  is  any 
element  in  human  life  to  whose  inestimable  value  we  have 
abundant  testimony,  it  is  prayer;  and  to  leave  misunderstood 
and  untrained  a  power  capable  of  such  high  uses  is  a 
spiritual  tragedy. 

This,  then,  is  the  summary  of  the  matter.  Deep  in  every 
one  of  us  lies  the  tendency  to  pray.  If  we  allow  it  to  remain 
merely  a  tendency,  it  becomes  nothing  but  a  selfish,  unin- 
telligent, occasional  cry  of  need.  But  understood  and  dis- 

17 


[I-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

ciplined,    it    reveals    possibilities    whose    limits    never    have 
been  found. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

How  far  can  prayer  be  said  to  be  natural  to  all  peoples  in  all 
times? 

Are  the  following  exercises  forms  of  prayer? 

An  African  throwing  a  stone  on  the  votive  pile  along  the 
roadside. 

A  Buddhist  using  a  prayer  wheel. 

A  Thibetan  tying  a  prayer  flag  to  a  tree. 

An  Indian  Fakir  lying  on  a  bed  of  spikes. 

An  American  nailing  a  horse  shoe  over  the  door  for  good 
luck. 

How  far  can  superstitious  prayers,  growing  out  of  ignor- 
ance, of  mysterious  happenings  and  attempts  to  propitiate 
some  unknown  mighty  power,  be  said  to  be  proof  of  the 
universality  of  prayer? 

How  far  can  Paul's  statement  in  regard  to  the  men  of 
Athens  being  very  religious  be  duplicated  in  non-Christian 
countries  today? 

To  what  degree  is  crying  out  for  help  in  time  of  great 
trouble  a  proof  that  prayer  is  natural?  Was  Stephen's  prayer 
as  natural  as  Samson's?  Compare  Hezekiah's  prayer  at  the 
siege  of  Jerusalem  with  prayer  in  modern  wars.  Is  the 
Psalmist's  description  of  a  man  praying  in  a  storm  at  sea 
proof  of  the  naturalness  of  prayer? 

Is  prayer  more  natural  to  some  types  of  individuals  and 
races  than  others?  Is  it  more  natural  to  women  than  men? 

In  the  sense  that  you  use  the  word  "prayer,"  do  all  men 
pray? 

How  far  is  the  universality  of  prayer  a  proof  of  its  reality? 

What  effect  has  lack  of  control  and  training  upon  fine  natural 
tendencies? 

Is  love  involuntary,  or  can  a  man  control  and  develop  his 
love  instinct? 

To  what  degree  is  the  instinct  to  pray  capable  of  develop- 
ment and  direction? 

18 


THE  NATURALNESS  OF  PRAYER  [I-s] 

Wherein  do  untrained  natural  prayer  instincts  fall  short? 
Why  are  the  prayers  of  a  Christian  often  really  pagan  in 
character  ? 

What  were  the  distinctive  elements  in  Daniel's  prayer? 
in  the  prayer  of  Ephesians  3:  14-19? 

Can  spasmodic  and  untrained  prayer  be  unselfish? 

How  can  prayer  be  trained?  What  determines  the  limit 
of  the  development  of  prayer  in  any  individual?  For  in- 
stance, what  process  is  necessary  to  develop  the  turning  of  a 
prayer  wheel  into  a  prayer  like  Stephen's? 


CHAPTER  II 


Prayer  as  Communion  with  God 

DAILY  READINGS 

First  Day,  Second  Week 

The  thought  of  prayer  as  a  natural  function  in  human  life 
ought  to  be  of  this  practical  service  to  us :  it  should  keep  us 
from  yielding  too  easily  to  disbelief  or  discouragement  when 
we  have  difficulty  with  prayer  in  our  individual  experience. 
At  least,  so  one  of  the  psalmists  felt. 

My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me? 

Why   art   thou   so   far   from   helping   me,   and   from   the 

words  of  my  groaning? 

O  my  God,  I  cry  in  the  daytime,  but  thou  answerest  not; 
And  in  the  night  season,  and  am  not  silent. 
But  thou  art  holy, 

O  thou  that  inhabitest  the  praises  of  Israel. 
Our  fathers  trusted  in  thee: 
They  trusted,  and  thou  didst  deliver  them. 
They  cried  unto  thee,  and  were  delivered: 
They  trusted  in  thee,  and  were  not  put  to  shame. 

— Psalm  22 : 1-5. 

Note  the  three  troubles  which  this  psalmist  has  been  having 
with  prayer.  He  cannot  make  God  seem  real  to  him;  his 
prayer  brings  him  no  relief  in  his  difficulties ;  and  even 
persistency  in  prayer  accomplishes  nothing.  Then  he  remem- 
bers that  prayer  is  not  something  with  which  he,  for  the 
first  time  in  history,  is  experimenting.  "Our  fathers  trusted 
in  thee  .  .  .  and  thou  didst  deliver  them."  He  sees  that  the 
accumulating  testimony  of  his  fathers  in  all  ages  bears  wit- 
ness to  the  power  of  prayer.  He  therefore  sensibly  concludes 

20 


PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD     [II-2] 

that  he  would  better  not  pit  a  few  months  of  individual 
failure  in  praying  against  the  general  experience  of  the  race. 
In  view  of  what  prayer  has  meant  to  all  peoples,  he  sees  that 
probably  the  trouble  is  with  himself  and  not  with  prayer* 
He  sets  himself  therefore  to  understand  prayer  if  he  can, 
and  in  the  22nd  verse  of  the  Psalm,  he  begins  the  recital  of 
the  victorious  outcome :  "I  will  declare  thy  name  unto  my 
brethren :  In  the  midst  of  the  assembly  will  I  praise  thee." 
May  God  make  us  as  sensible  as  this  psalmist  and  give  us 
as  real  a  triumph ! 

O  God,  who  art,  and  wast,  and  art  to  come,  before  whose 
face  the  generations  rise  and  pass  away;  age  after  age  the 
living  seek  Thee,  and  find  that  of  Thy  faithfulness  there  is 
no  end.  Our  fathers  in  their  pilgrimage  walked  by  Thy 
guidance,  and  rested  on  Thy  compassion;  still  to  their  chil- 
dren be  Thou  the  cloud  by  day,  the  fire  by  night.  In  our 
manifold  temptations,  Thou  alone  knowest  and  art  ever  nigh: 
in  sorrow,  Thy  pity  revives  the  fainting  soul;  in  our  pros- 
perity and  ease,  it  is  Thy  Spirit  only  that  can  wean  us  from 
our  pride  and  keep  us  low.  O  Thou  sole  Source  of  peace  and 
righteousness!  take  now  the  veil  from  every  heart;  and  join 
us  in  one  communion  with  Thy  prophets  and  saints  who  have 
trusted  in  Thee,  and  were  not  ashamed.  Not  of  our  worthi- 
ness, but  of  Thy  tender  mercy,  hear  our  prayer.  Amen. — 
James  Martineau  (1805-1900). 

Second  Day,  Second  Week 

Let  us  consider  this  week  some  of  the  practical  reasons  for 
our  failure  to  make  the  most  out  of  our  power  to  pray.  To 
that  end  read  these  verses  representing  two  aspects  of  the 
Master's  life: 

We  must  work  the  works  of  him  that  sent  me,  while 
it  is  day:  the  night  cometh,  when  no  man  can  work. 
— John  9:4. 

In  the  morning,  a  great  while  before  day,  he  rose  up 
and  went  out,  and  departed  into  a  desert  place,  and  there 
prayed. — Mark  i :  35. 

Which  of  these  two  emphases  in  the  Christian  life  do  we 
appreciate  the  better?  Is  it  not  clear  that  all  the  charac- 

21 


[II-3]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

teristic  enthusiasms  of  our  day  cluster  around  work?  In 
the  churches,  service  is  the  popular  note,  and  the  favorite 
hymns  are  "The  Son  of  God  goes  forth  to  war,"  "Soldiers 
of  Christ  arise,"  and  their  kind.  Our  failure  in  prayer  is 
partly  due  to  the  prevailing  temper  of  our  generation,  which 
in  its  splendid  enthusiasm  for  work  has  neglected  that 
culture  of  prayer,  on  which  in  the  end  the  finest  quality  of 
spirit  and  the  deepest  resources  of  power  must  depend.  Is 
not  this  one  reason  why  keen  observers  note  that  our  genera- 
tion is  marked  by  practical  efficiency  and  spiritual  shallow- 
ness?  May  we  not  hope  to  keep  in  ourselves  the  best  gains 
of  this  efficient  age  and  at  the  same  time  recover  the  "practice 
of  the  presence  of  God"? 

Almighty  Father,  enter  Thou  our  hearts,  and  so  fill  us 
with  Thy  love,  that,  forsaking  all  evil  desires,  we  may  em- 
brace Thee,  our  only  good.  Show  unto  us,  for  Thy  mercies' 
sake,  O  Lord  our  God,  what  Thou  art  unto  us.  Say  unto 
our  souls,  I  am  thy  salvation.  So  speak  that  we  may  hear. 
Our  hearts  are  before  Thee;  open  Thou  our  ears;  let  us 
hasten  after  Thy  voice,  and  take  hold  on  Thee.  Hide  not 
Thy  face  from  us,  we  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord.  Enlarge  Thou 
the  narrowness  of  our  souls,  that  Thou  mayest  enter  in. 
Repair  the  ruinous  mansions,  that  Thou  mayest  dwell  there. 
Hear  us,  O  Heavenly  Father,  for  the  sake  of  Thine  only  Son, 
fesus  Christ,  our  Lord,  who  liveth  and  reigneth  with  Thee 
and  the  Holy  Spirit,  now  and  for  ever.  Amen. — St.  Augus- 
tine (354-430). 

Third  Day,  Second  Week 

Failure  to  cultivate  our  power  of  prayer  goes  back  in 
many  to  childish  ideas  of  prayer's  meaning,  which,  never 
altogether  outgrown,  hamper  us  and  make  our  praying  seem 
unreasonable  and  futile.  There  are  some  who  still  think  of 
prayer  in  terms  of  childish  supplications  to  a  divine  Santa 
Claus.  Let  us  note  the  two  aspects  of  truth  set  forth  in 
these  two  passages : 

And  he  sat  down,  and  called  the  twelve;  and  he  saith 
unto  them,  If  any  man  would  be  first,  he  shall  be  last  of 
all,  and  servant  of  all.  And  he  took  a  little  child,  and  set 

22 


PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD     [11-4] 

him  in  the  midst  of  them:  and  taking  him  in  his  arms,  he 
said  unto  them,  Whosoever  shall  receive  one  of  such  little 
children  in  my  name,  receiveth  me:  and  whosoever  re- 
ceiveth  me,  receiveth  not  me,  but  him  that  sent  me. — 
Mark  9:35-37. 

When  I  was  a  child,  I  spake  as  a  child,  I  felt  as  a 
child,  I  thought  as  a  child:  now  that  I  am  become  a 
man,  I  have  put  away  childish  things. — I  Cor.  13:  n. 

When  Christ  sets  as  our  ideal  the  childlike  qualities  of 
sincerity  and  humility,  he  is  not  asking  us  to  be  childish. 
Many  foolish  prayers  are  offered  by  the  well-meaning  but 
unintelligent  with  the  excuse  that  they  are  childlike  in  their 
simple  trust.  But  we  are  grown-up  children,  and  have  an 
obligation  to  exercise  our  intelligence,  to  outgrow  infantile 
ideas  of  prayer  that  belittle  it,  and  to  enlarge  our  conceptions 
of  the  significance  which  fellowship  with  God  may  have  for 
life.  To  pray  to  God  as  though  he  were  Santa  Claus  is 
childish;  but  a  man  may  still  be  childlike  in  his  faith  and 
range  up  into  another  sort  of  praying: 

"Thou  Life  within  my  life,  than  self  more  near, 
Thou  Veiled  Presence  infinitely  clear; 
From  all  illusive  shows  of  sense  I  flee 
To  find  my  center  and  my  rest  in  Thee." 

0  Heavenly  Father,  the  Author  and  Fountain  of  all  truth, 
the  bottomless  Sea  of  all  understanding,  send,  we  beseech 
Thee,  Thy  Holy  Spirit  into  our  hearts,  and  lighten  our  under- 
standings with  the  beams  of  Thy  heavenly  grace.  We  ask  this, 
O  merciful  Father,  for  Thy  dear  Son,  our  Saviour,  Jesus 
Christ's  sake.  Amen. — Bishop  Ridley  (1500-1555). 

Fourth  Day,  Second  Week 

Childishness  in  prayer  is  chiefly  evidenced  in  an  overween- 
ing desire  to  beg  things  from  God,  and  a  corresponding  failure 
to  desire  above  all  else  the  friendship  of  God  himself.  The 
same  growth  ought  to  take  place  in  our  relationship  with 
God  which  occurs  in  a  normal  fellowship  between  a  child 
and  his  parents.  At  first  the  child  wants  the  parents'  gifts, 
and  thinks  of  the  parents  largely  in  terms  of  the  things  which 

23 


[II-4]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

they  do  for  his  comfort  and  pleasure.  He  is  not  able  yet  to 
appreciate  the  value  of  the  parents'  personalities.  A  sure  sign 
of  wholesome  maturity,  however,  is  found  in  the  child's  deep- 
ening understanding  of  the  parents  themselves — his  increasing 
delight  in  their  friendship,  thankfulness  for  their  care,  ac- 
ceptance of  their  ideals,  reliance  on  their  counsel,  and  joy  in 
their  approval.  The  child  grows  through  desiring  things 
from  his  parents  into  love  of  his  parents,  for  their  own  sakes. 

A  certain  man  had  two  sons:  and  the  younger  of  them 
said  to  his  father,  Father,  give  me  the  portion  of  thy 
substance  that  falleth  to  me.  And  he  divided  unto  them 
his  living.  And  not  many  days  after,  the  younger  son 
gathered  all  together  and  took  his  journey  into  a  far 
country;  and  there  he  wasted  his  substance  with  riotous 
living.  .  .  .  But  when  he  came  to  himself  he  said,  How 
many  hired  servants  of  my  father's  have  bread  enough 
and  to  spare,  and  I  perish  here  with  hunger!  I  will  arise 
and  go  to  my  father,  and  will  say  unto  him,  Father,  I 
have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  in  thy  sight:  I  am  no 
more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son:  make  me  as  one  of 
thy  hired  servants. — Luke  15: 11-13,  17-19. 

Note  the  change  of  prayer  from  "Give  me"  to  "Make  me." 
Whether  through  experience  of  sin  or  sorrow  or  hard  prac- 
tical struggle  we  come  to  a  real  maturity,  we  always  tend  to 
grow  out  of  crying  to  God  "Give  me"  into  the  deeper  prayer 
"Make  me."  In  a  word  we  cease  valuing  God  merely  because 
of  the  things  he  may  give,  and  we  come  into  the  love  of 
God  himself  and  the  desire  to  be  made  over  by  him. 

Grant  me,  O  most  loving  Lord,  to  rest  in  Thee  above  all 
creatures,  above  all  health  and  beauty,  above  all  glory  and 
honor,  above  all  power  and  dignity,  above  all  knowledge  and 
subtilty,  above  all  riches  and  art,  above  all  fame  and  praise, 
above  all  sweetness  and  comfort,  above  all  hope  and  promise, 
above  all  gifts  and  favors  that  Thou  canst  give  and  impart 
to  us,  above  all  jubilee  that  the  mind  of  man  can  receive  and 
feel;  finally,  above  angels  and  archangels,  and  above  all  the 
heavenly  host,  above  all  things  visible  and  invisible,  and  above 
all  that  Thou  art  not,  O  my  God.  It  is  too  small  and  un- 
satisfying, whatsoever  Thou  bestowest  on  me  apart  from 
Thee,  or  revealest  to  me,  or  promisest,  whilst  Thou  art  not 

24 


PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD     [II-s] 

seen,  and  not  fully  obtained.  For  surely  my  heart  cannot 
truly  rest,  nor  be  entirely  contented,  unless  it  rest  in  Thee. 
Amen. — Thomas  a  Kempis  (1379-1471). 

Fifth  Day,  Second  Week 

Prayer  has  failed  in  some  because  it  has  always  appeared 
to  them  as  an  obligation  rather  than  a  privilege.  When  they 
think  of  it  they  think  of  a  duty  to  be  done.  Contrast  with 
this  the  glowing  words  of  the  sixty-third  Psalm : 

0  God,  thou  art  my  God;  earnestly  will  I  seek  thee:  .  .  . 
Because  thy  lovingkindness  is  better  than  life, 

My  lips  shall  praise  thee.  .  .  . 

My  soul  shall  be  satisfied  as  with  marrow  and  fatness; 

And  my  mouth  shall  praise  thee  with  joyful  lips; 

When  I  remember  thee  upon  my  bed, 

And  meditate  on  thee  in  the  night-watches. 

For  thou  hast  been  my  help, 

And  in  the  shadow  of  thy  wings  will  I  rejoice. 

My  soul  followeth  hard  after  thee: 

Thy  right  hand  upholdeth  me. — Psalm  63 :  i,  3,  5-8. 

Prayer  here  is  not  a  burden  to  be  borne,  an  obligation  to  be 
fulfilled,  something  that  is  due  to  God  and  must  be  paid. 
Prayer  is  a  privilege;  like  friendship  and  family  love  and 
laughter,  great  books,  great  music,  and  great  art,  it  is  one  of 
life's  opportunities  to  be  grasped  thankfully  and  used  gladly. 
The  man  who  misses  the  deep  meanings  of  prayer  has  not 
so  much  refused  an  obligation;  he  has  robbed  himself  of  life's 
supreme  privilege — friendship  with  God. 

O  Thou  divine  Spirit  that,  in  all  events  of  life,  art  knocking 
at  the  door  of  my  heart,  help  me  to  respond  to  Thee.  I 
would  not  be  driven  blindly  as  the  stars  over  their  courses. 

1  would  not  be  made  to  work  out  Thy  will  unwillingly,  to 
fulfil  Thy  law  unintelligently,  to  obey  Thy  mandates  unsym- 
pathetically.    I  would  take  the  events  of  my  life  as  good  and 
perfect  gifts  from  Thee;  I  would  receive  even  the  sorrows  of 
life  as  disguised  gifts  from  Thee.     I  would  have  my  heart 
open  at  all  times  to  receive — at  morning,  noon,  and  night; 
in  spring,  and  summer,  and  winter.     Whether  Thou  earnest 

25 


[II-6]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

to  me  in  sunshine  or  in  rain,  I  would  take  Thee  into  my 
heart  joyfully.  Thou  art  Thyself  more  than  the  sunshine, 
Thou  art  Thyself  compensation  for  the  rain;  it  is  Thee  and 
not  Thy  gifts  I  crave;  knock,  and  I  shall  open  unto  Thee. 
Amen. — George  Matheson. 


Sixth  Day,  Second  Week 

I  exhort  therefore,  first  of  all,  that  supplications,  prayers, 
intercessions,  thanksgivings,  be  made  for  all  men;  for 
kings  and  all  that  are  in  high  place;  that  we  may  lead  a 
tranquil  and  quiet  life  in  all  godliness  and  gravity.  This 
is  good  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  our  Saviour; 
who  would  have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth.  For  there  is  one  God,  one 
mediator  also  between  God  and  men,  himself  man,  Christ 
Jesus.  ...  I  desire  therefore  that  the  men  pray  in  every 
place,  lifting  up  holy  hands,  without  wrath  and  disput- 
ing.— I  Tim.  2:1-5,  8. 

Our  failure  to  think  of  prayer  as  a  privilege  may  be 
partly  due  to  the  fact  that  we  can  pray  any  time,  "in  every 
place."  The  door  of  prayer  is  open  so  continuously  that 
we  fail  to  avail  ourselves  of  an  opportunity  which  is  al- 
ways there.  There  are  plenty  of  people  in  London  who 
never  have  seen  the  inside  of  Westminster  Abbey,  partly 
because  they  could  go  there  any  day.  Consider  then  the 
aptness  of  Austin  Phelps'  illustration :  "In  the  vestibule  of 
St.  Peter's,  at  Rome,  is  a  doorway,  which  is  walled  up 
and  marked  with  a  cross.  It  is  opened  but  four  times  in 
a  century.  On  Christmas  Eve,  once  in  twenty-five  years, 
the  Pope  approaches  it  in  princely  state,  with  the  retinue  of 
cardinals  in  attendance,  and  begins  the  demolition  of  the 
door,  by  striking  it  three  times  with  a  silver  hammer.  When 
the  passage  is  opened,  the  multitude  pass  into  the  nave  of 
the  cathedral,  and  up  to  the  altar,  by  an  avenue  which  the 
majority  of  them  never  entered  thus  before,  and  never  will 
enter  thus  again.  Imagine  that  the  way  to  the  Throne  of 
Grace  were  like  the  Porta  Sancta,  inaccessible,  save  once 
in  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Conceive  that  it  were  now  ten 
years  since  you,  or  I,  or  any  other  sinner,  had  been  permitted 
to  pray:  and  that  fifteen  long  years  must  drag  themselves 

26 


PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD     [II-7J 

away,  before  we  could  venture  again  to  approach  God ;  and 
that,  at  the  most,  we  could  not  hope  to  pray  more  than  two 
or  three  times  in  a  lifetime !  With  what  solicitude  we 
should  wait  for  the  coming  of  that  Holy  Day !"  It  may 
be  that  through  sheer  negligence  and  the  deceiving  influence 
of  good  but  weak  intentions,  we  are  missing  one  of  life's 
great  privileges,  because  it  is  so  commonplace. 

O  Lord,  keep  me  sensitive  to  the  grace  that  is  round  about 
me.  May  the  familiar  not  become  neglected!  May  I  see  Thy 
goodness  in  my  daily  bread,  and  may  the  comfort  of  my  home 
take  my  thoughts  to  the  mercy  seat  of  God! — J.  H.  Jowett. 

Seventh  Day,  Second  Week 

Another  practical  reason  for  failure  in  prayer  is  found 
in  impatience.  We  have  made  a  few  fitful  and  hurried 
attempts  at  praying  and  seeing  no  good  consequence  have 
impatiently  called  the  practice  worthless  and  have  quit  it. 
Suppose  that  a  man  should  similarly  make  a  dash  at  friend- 
ship and  after  throwing  off  a  few  trial  conversations  should 
dogmatically  conclude  that  there  was  nothing  in  friendship 
after  all.  But  friendship  is  not  really  tested  in  so  dashing 
and  occasional  a  way;  friendship  is  rather  a  life  to  be  lived, 
habitually,  persistently — and  its  results  are  cumulative  with 
the  years.  So  prayer  is  a  cumulative  life  of  friendship  with 
God. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  was  praying  in  a  certain 
place,  that  when  he  ceased,  one  of  his  disciples  said  unto 
him,  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray,  even  as  John  also  taught  his 
disciples.  And  he  said  unto  them,  When  ye  pray,  say, 
Father,  Hallowed  be  thy  name.  Thy  kingdom  come. 
Give  us  day  by  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us 
pur  sins;  for  we  ourselves  also  forgive  every  one  that  is 
indebted  to  us.  And  bring  us  not  into  temptation. — 
Luke  ii :  1-4. 

Note  that  when  the  disciples  heard  Jesus  pray  they  became 
aware  that  praying  like  his  was  nothing  that  they  could 
happen  on,  or  drift  into,  or  dash  off  i.i  a  moment  of  special 
inspiration.  Such  praying  was  a  lesson  to  be  learned  by 

27 


[II-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

assiduous  practice.  "It  is  a  great  art  to  commune  with 
God,"  said  Thomas  a  Kempis.  We  would  not  expect  to 
take  a  try  at  a  violin  once  in  a  while  and  yet  make  much 
of  it.  But  see  how  we  treat  this  finer  instrument  of  prayer ! 
Which  of  these  seven  practical  causes  of  failure,  con- 
sidered this  week,  apply  to  you? — pitting  a  little  individual 
failure  against  the  experience  of  the  race;  welcoming  the 
emphasis  on  work  to  the  exclusion  of  the  emphasis  on 
prayer ;  thinking  of  prayer  childishly  until  it  has  seemed 
irrational;  valuing  God  less  than  the  things  he  may  give 
until  prayer  has  looked  mean;  regarding  prayer  as  an  obli- 
gation rather  than  a  privilege ;  neglecting  prayer  because 
it  is  so  familiar  an  opportunity ;  impatience  with  praying 
after  a  few,  fitful  trials. 

Come,  O  Lord,  in  much  mercy  down  into  my  soul,  and 
lake  possession  and  dwell  there.  A  homely  mansion,  I  con- 
fess, for  so  glorious  a  Majesty,  but  such  as  Thou  art  fitting 
up  for  the  reception  of  Thee,  by  holy  and  fervent  desires 
of  Thine  own  inspiring.  Enter  then,  and  adorn,  and  make 
it  such  as  Thou  canst  inhabit,  since  it  is  the  work  of  Thy 
hands.  Give  me  Thine  own  self,  without  which,  though 
Thou  shouldst  give  me  all  that  ever  Thou  hast  made,  yet 
could  not  my  desires  be  satisfied.  Let  my  soul  ever  seek 
Thee,  and  let  me  persist  in  seeking,  till  I  have  found,  and 
am  in  full  possession  of  Thee.  Amen. — St.  Augustine  (354- 
430). 

COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 
I 

When  a  man  begins  to  make  earnest  with  prayer,  desiring 
to  see  what  can  be  done  with  it  in  his  life,  he  finds  that 
one  of  his  first  necessities  is  a  fairly  clear  idea  of  whav 
praying  means.  In  most  lives,  behind  all  theoretical  per- 
plexities about  this  problem,  there  lies  a  practical  experience 
with  prayer  that  is  very  disconcerting. 

When  we  were  little  children  prayer  was  vividly  real.  We 
prayed  with  a  naive  confidence  that  we  should  obtain  the 
things  for  which  we  asked.  It  made  but  little  difference 
what  the  things  were;  for  prayer  was  an  Aladdin's  lamp 

28 


PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD     [II-c] 

by  rubbing  which  we  summoned  the  angels  of  God  to  do 
our  bidding,  prayer  was  a  blank  check  signed  by  the  Almighty 
which  we  could  fill  in  at  will  and  present  to  the  universe  to 
be  cashed.  Such  a  conception  of  prayer  is  picturesquely 
revealed  in  the  confession  which  Robertson  of  Brighton,  the 
great  English  preacher,  gives  us  in  a  paragraph  about  his 
childhood.  "I  remember  when  a  very,  very  young  boy,"  he 
says,  "going  out  shooting  with  my  father,  and  praying,  as 
often  as  the  dogs  came  to  a  point,  that  he  might  kill  the 
bird.  As  he  did  not  always  do  this,  and  as  sometimes  there 
would  occur  false  points,  my  heart  got  bewildered.  I  believe 
I  began  to  doubt  sometimes  the  efficacy  of  prayer,  some- 
times the  lawfulness  of  field  sports.  Once,  too,  I  recollect 
when  I  was  taken  up  with  nine  other  boys  at  school  to  be 
unjustly  punished,  I  prayed  to  escape  the  shame.  The  master, 
previously  to  flogging  all  the  others,  said  to  me,  to  the  great 
bewilderment  of  the  whole  school :  'Little  boy,  I  excuse 
you :  I  have  particular  reasons  for  it,'  and  in  fact,  I  was 
never  flogged  during  the  three  years  I  was  at  that  school. 
That  incident  settled  my  mind  for  a  long  time;  only  I  doubt 
whether  it  did  me  any  good,  for  prayer  became  a  charm. 
I  fancied  myself  the  favorite  of  the  Invisible.  I  knew  that 
I  carried  about  a  talisman  unknown  to  others  which  would 
save  me  from  all  harm.  It  did  not  make  me  better;  it 
simply  gave  me  security,  as  the  Jew  felt  safe  in  being  the 
descendant  of  Abraham,  or  went  into  battle  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Ark,  sinning  no  less  all  the  time." 

Many  of  us  can  look  back  to  some  such  experience  as  this 
with  prayer;  but,  as  with  Robertson,  serious  doubts  soon 
disturbed  our  simple-hearted  trust.  How  often  we  rubbed 
this  magic  lamp,  and  no  angels  came !  How  steadily  our 
faith  in  its  efficacy  gave  place  to  doubt  and  then  to  confident 
denial !  As  experience  increased,  we  relied  not  on  prayer 
but  on  foresight,  work,  money,  and  shrewdness  to  obtain 
our  desires.  Frederick  Douglass  said  that  in  the  days  of 
his  slavery  he  used  often  to  pray  for  freedom,  but  that  his 
prayer  was  not  answered  until  it  got  down  into  his  own 
heels  and  he  ran  away.  In  that  type  of  prayer  we  come 
increasingly  to  believe;  but  where  then,  is  the  old  trust  that 
used  to  look  for  gifts  from  heaven?  Indeed,  when  in  anguish 
we  have  cried  for  things  on  which  the  worth  and  joy  of 
life  seemed  utterly  to  depend,  our  faith  has  been  staggered 

29 


[II-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

by  the  impotence  of  our  petition  and  the  seeming  indifference 
of  God.     We  have  entered  into  Tennyson's  crushing  doubt : 

"Mother,  praying  God  will  save  thy  sailor, 
Even  while  thy  head  is  bowed, 
His  heavy   shotted   hammock   shroud 
Sinks  in  its  vast  and  wandering  grave." 

II 

This  practical  disappointment  with  prayer  as  a  means  of 
getting  things  leads  in  most  men  to  one  of  two  conclusions: 
either  a  man  gives  over  praying  altogether;  or  else,  con- 
tinuing to  pray,  he  seeks  a  new  motive  for  doing  so  to  take 
the  place  of  his  old  expectation  of  definite  results  from  God. 
Men  used  to  put  flowers  on  graves  because  they  thought  that 
the  departed  spirits  enjoyed  the  odor.  Although  that  super- 
stition long  has  been  overpassed,  we  still  put  flowers  on 
graves;  but  we  have  supplied  a  motive  of  sentiment  in  place 
of  the  old  realistic  reason. 

So  men  who  learned  to  pray  in  childlike  expectation  of 
getting  precisely  what  they  asked,  are  disillusioned  by  dis- 
appointment; but  they  continue  prayer,  with  a  new  motive. 
"Never  mind  if  you  do  not  obtain  your  requests,"  men  say 
in  this  second  stage  of  their  experience  with  prayer;  "remem- 
ber that  it  does  you  good  to  pray.  The  act  itself  enlarges  your 
sympathies,  quiets  your  mind,  sweetens  your  disposition, 
widens  the  perspective  of  your  thought.  Give  up  all  idea 
that  some  one  does  anything  for  you  when  you  pray,  but 
remember  that  you  can  do  a  great  deal  for  yourself.  In 
prayer  we  soothe  our  own  spirits,  calm  our  own  anxieties, 
purify  our  own  thoughts.  Prayer  is  a  helpful  soliloquy;  a 
comforting  monologue ;  a  noble  form  of  auto-suggestion." 
So  men  returning  disappointed  from  prayer  as  a  means  of 
obtaining  definite  requests,  try  to  content  themselves  with 
prayer  as  the  reflex  action  of  their  own  minds.  This  is 
prayer's  meaning,  as  they  see  it,  put  into  an  ancient  parable: 
Two  boys  were  sent  into  the  fields  to  dig  for  hidden  treasure, 
where  all  day  they  toiled  in  vain;  and  at  evening,  coming 
weary  and  disappointed  home,  they  were  met  by  their  father. 
"After  all,"  he  said  to  comfort  them,  "you  did  get  some- 
thing— the  digging  itself  was  good  exercise." 

30 


PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD     [II-c] 

How  many  today  think  thus  of  prayer  as  a  form  of  spiritual 
gymnastics — what  Horace  Bushnell  called  "mere  dumb-bell 
exercise !"  They  lift  the  dumb-bell  of  intercessory  prayer, 
not  because  they  think  it  helps  their  friends,  but  because  it 
strengthens  the  fiber  of  their  own  sympathy.  They  lift  the 
dumb-bell  of  prayer  for  strength  in  temptation  not  because 
God  helps  them,  but  because  the  act  itself  steadies  them. 
Prayer  to  them  is  one  form  of  menticulture.  But  this  kind 
of  prayer  is  not  likely  to  persist  long.  A  thoughtful  man 
balks  at  continuing  to  cry  "O  God,"  simply  to  improve  the 
quality  of  his  own  voice.  He  shrinks  from  the  process  which 
Charles  Kingsley  describes  in  a  letter  as  "Praying  to  oneself  to 
change  oneself ;  by  which  I  mean  the  common  method  of  try- 
ing by  prayer  to  excite  oneself  into  a  state,  a  frame,  an  experi- 
ence." Or  if  he  does  indulge  in  such  spiritual  exercise,  he  must 
call  what  he  is  doing  by  its  right  name ;  it  is  meditation,  it  is 
soliloquy,  but  it  is  not  prayer.  When  a  man  indulges  in 
this  occasional  self-communion  for  spiritual  discipline;  when 
no  sense  of  fellowship  with  God  is  left  in  his  soliloquies  to 
remind  one  of  Jesus'  great  confession,  "I  am  not  alone,  but 
I  and  my  Father"  (John  8:  16),  his  meditation  can  be  called 
prayer  only  in  the  qualified  phrase  of  one  of  the  parables, 
where  a  man  "stood  and  prayed  .  .  .  with  himself"  (Luke 
18:11). 

Is  not  this  a  typical  experience  of  modern  men?  They 
find  themselves  impaled,  as  they  think,  upon  the  horns  of 
a  dilemma.  "Either,"  they  say,  "prayer  is  an  effective  way 
of  getting  things  by  begging,  or  else  prayer  is  merely  the 
reflex  action  of  a  man's  own  mind."  But  the  dilemma  is 
false.  Prayer  may  involve  something  of  both,  but  the  heart 
of  prayer  is  neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  The  essential 
nature  of  prayer  lies  in  a  realm  higher  than  either,  where 
all  that  is  false  in  both  is  transcended  and  all  that  is  true  is 
emphasized. 

To  Jesus,  for  example,  the  meaning  of  prayer  was  not 
that  God  would  give  him  whatever  he  asked.  God  did  not. 
That  sustained  and  passionate  petition  where  the  Master 
thrice  returned  with  blood-stained  face,  to  cry,  "Let  this 
cup  pass"  (Matt.  26:39),  had  "No"  for  an  aswer.  Neither 
did  prayer  mean  to  Jesus  merely  the  reflex  action  of  his 
own  mind.  Jesus  prayed  with  such  power  that  the  one 
thing  which  his  disciples  asked  him  to  teach  them  was  how 

31 


[II-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

to  pray  (Luke  11:1);  he  prayed  with  such  conscious  joy 
that  at  times  the  very  fashion  of  his  countenance  was  changed 
with  the  glory  of  it  (Luke  9:28,  29).  Can  you  imagine  him 
upon  his  knees  then  talking  to  himself?  Was  he  merely 
catching  the  rebound  of  his  own  words?  Surely,  when  the 
Master  prayed,  he  met  somebody.  His  life  was  impinged  on 
by  another  Life.  He  "Felt  a  Presence  that  disturbed  him 
with  the  joy  of  elevated  thoughts."  His  prayer  was  not 
monologue,  but  dialogue;  not  soliloquy,  but  friendship.  For 
prayer  is  neither  chiefly  begging  for  things,  nor  is  it  merely 
self-communion;  it  is  that  loftiest  experience  -within  the 
reach  of  any  soul,  communion  with  God. 

Of  course,  this  does  not  answer  all  questions  about  prayer, 
nor  exhaust  all  its  meaning.  Definite  petition  has  its  im- 
portant place,  and  later  we  must  consider  it.  But  at  the 
beginning  of  our  study,  the  thought  of  prayer  as  communion 
with  God  puts  the  center  of  the  matter  where  it  ought  to  be. 
The  great  gift  of  God  in  prayer  is  himself,  and  whatever 
else  he  gives  is  incidental  and  secondary.  Let  us,  then,  con- 
sider in  particular  the  significance  which  this  truth  has  for 
our  idea  of  praying. 

Ill 

For  one  thing,  the  thought  of  prayer  as  communion  with 
God  makes  praying  an  habitual  attitude,  and  not  simply  an 
occasional  act.  It  is  continuous  fellowship  with  God,  not  a 
spasmodic  demand  for  his  gifts.  Many  people  associate 
prayer  exclusively  with  some  special  posture,  such  as  kneel- 
ing, and  with  the  verbal  utterance  of  their  particular  wants. 
They  often  are  disturbed  because  this  act  gives  them  no 
help,  because  it  issues  in  no  perceptible  result  at  all.  But 
even  a  casual  acquaintance  with  the  biographies  of  praying 
men  makes  clear  that  praying  is  to  them  a  very  different 
thing  from  saying  prayers.  One  who  all  her  life  had  identi- 
fied with  prayer  certain  appointed  acts  of  devotion,  properly 
timed  and  decently  performed,  exclaimed  "Prayer  has  en- 
tirely left  my  life";  yet  when  asked  whether  she  never  was 
conscious  of  an  unseen  Presence  in  fellowship  with  whom 
she  found  peace  and  strength,  she  answered,  "I  could  not 
live  without  that!"  Well,  that  is  prayer — "not  a  mechanical 
repetition  of  verbal  forms,"  as  A.  C.  Benson  puts  it,  "but  a 

32 


PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD     [Il-c] 

strong  and  secret  uplifting  of  the  heart  to  the  Father  of 
all." 

Let  any  of  the  spiritual  seers  describe  the  innermost  mean- 
ing of  prayer  to  them,  and  always  this  habitual  attitude  of 
secret  communion  lies  at  the  heart  of  the  matter;  they  are 
seeking  God  himself,  rather  than  his  outward  gifts.  As 
Horace  Bushnell  says:  "I  fell  into  the  habit  of  talking  with 
God  on  every  occasion.  I  talk  myself  asleep  at  night,  and 
open  the  morning  talking  with  him" ;  and  Jeremy  Taylor 
describes  his  praying  as  "making  frequent  colloquies  and 
short  discoursings  between  God  and  his  own  soul" ;  and  Sir 
Thomas  Browne,  the  famous  physician,  says,  "I  have  resolved 
to  pray  more  and  to  pray  always,  to  pray  in  all  places  where 
quietness  inviteth,  in  the  house,  on  the  highway,  and  on  the 
street;  and  to  know  no  street  or  passage  in  this  city  that 
may  not  witness  that  I  have  not  forgotten  God."  Ask  a 
monk  like  Brother  Lawrence  what  praying  means  to  him ; 
and  he  answers,  "That  we  should  establish  ourselves  in  a 
sense  of  God's  presence,  by  continually  conversing  with 
Him";  and  ask  the  question  of  so  different  a  man  as  Carlyle, 
and  the  reply  springs  from  the  same  idea,  "Prayer  is  the 
aspiration  of  our  poor,  struggling,  heavy-laden  soul  toward 
its  Eternal  Father,  and  with  or  without  words,  ought  not 
to  becowe  impossible,  nor,  I  persuade  myself,  need  it  ever." 

To  be  sure,  this  habitual  attitude  is  helped,  not  hindered, 
lay  occasional  acts  of  devotion.  Patriotism  should  extend 
over  all  the  year,  but  that  end  is  encouraged  and  not  halted 
by  special  anniversaries  like  Independence  Day;  gratitude 
should  be  a  continuous  attitude,  but  all  the  months  are 
thankfuller  because  of  Thanksgiving  Day;  "Remember  the 
week  day  to  keep  it  holy"  is  a  great  commandment,  but  the 
experience  of  the  race  is  clear  that  to  keep  one  day  each 
week  uniquely  sacred  makes  all  days  sacreder.  So  if  all 
hours  are  to  be  in  some  degree  God-conscious,  some  hours 
should  be  deliberately  so.  The  biographies  of  praying  men 
reveal  regularity  as  well  as  spontaneity.  One  would  expect 
John  Wesley  to  undertake  anything  methodically,  and  prayer 
is  no  exception.  In  addition  to  his  voluminous  Journal, 
Wesley  kept  diaries,  scores  of  which  have  been  preserved, 
and  on  the  first  page  of  each  this  vow  is  found:  "I  resolve, 
Deo  juvante,  (i)  to  devote  an  hour  morning  and  evening 
to  private  prayer,  no  pretense,  no  excuse  whatsoever;  and 

33 


[II-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

(2)  to  converse  KQTO.  •&s6v  (face  to  face  with  God),  no 
lightness,  no  ev-paneTiia  (facetiousness)."  The  greatest  pray- 
ing has  generally  meant  habitual  communion  with  God  that 
expressed  itself  in  occasional  acts,  and  occasional  acts  that 
deepened  habitual  communion;  but  whatever  the  method, 
alike  the  basis  and  the  end  •  of  all  was  abiding  fellowship 
with  God. 

"There  is  a  viewless,  cloistered  room, 
As  high  as  heaven,  as  fair  as  day, 
Where,  though  my  feet  may  join  the  throng, 
My  soul  can  enter  in,  and  pray. 

One  hearkening,  even,  cannot  know 
When  I  have  crossed  the  threshold  o'er; 

For  He  alone,  who  hears  my  prayer, 
Has  heard  the  shutting  of  the  door." 


IV 

For  another  thing,  the  thought  of  prayer  as  communion 
with  God  relieves  us  from  the  pressure  of  many  intellectual 
difficulties.  To  pray  for  detailed  gifts  from  God,  to  ask  him 
in  the  realm  where  the  laws  of  nature  reign  to  serve  us  in 
this  particular,  or  to  refrain  in  that — this  sort  of  entreaty 
raises  puzzling  questions  that  baffle  thought.  To  commune 
with  God,  however,  is  not  only  prayer  in  its  deepest  meaning; 
it  is  prayer  in  its  simplest,  most  intelligible  form.  Here,  at 
least,  we  can  confidently  deal  with  reality  in  prayer,  undis- 
turbed by  the  problems  that  often  confuse  us.  For  the 
standard  objections  to  prayer — the  reign  of  natural  law 
making  answer  impossible,  the  goodness  and  wisdom  of 
God  making  changes  in  his  plans  undesirable — need  not 
trouble  us  here.  When  a  man  sits  in  fellowship  with  his 
friend,  neither  begging  for  things,  nor  trying  to  content 
himself  with  soliloquy,  but  gaining  the  inspiration,  vision, 
peace,  and  joy  which  friendship  brings  through  mutual  com- 
munion, he  does  not  fear  the  reign  of  law.  The  law  of 
friendship  is  communion,  and  prayer  is  the  fulfilling  of  the 
law.  So  fellowship  in  the  spirit  may  be  free  and  unencum- 
bered, theoretical  perplexities  may  be  left  far  behind;  and 
we  may  range  out  into  a  transforming  experience  of  the 

34 


PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD     [II-c] 

divine  friendship,  when  we  learn  that  prayer  is  not  beggary, 
it  is  not  soliloquy,  it  is  communion  with  God. 

This  interpretation  of  the  innermost  nature  of  prayer  as 
the  search  of  the  soul  for  God  rather  than  for  his  gifts, 
has,  to  some,  a  modern  sound,  as  though  it  were  new — in- 
vented, perhaps,  to  put  the  possibility  of  praying  out  of 
reach  of  this  generation's  special  difficulties.  But  to  call 
this  view  modern  is  to  betray  ignorance  of  what  the  choicest 
people  of  God  in  all  centuries  have  meant  by  praying.  Recall 
St.  Augustine's  entreaty  in  the  fourth  century,  "Give  me  thine 
own  self,  without  whom,  though  thou  shouldest  give  me 
all  that  ever  thou  hadst  made,  yet  could  not  my  desires  be 
satisfied."  Recall  Thomas  a  Kempis  in  the  fifteenth  century, 
praying,  "It  is  too  small  and  unsatisfactory,  whatsoever 
thou  bestowest  on  me,  apart  from  thyself."  And  then  recall 
George  Matheson  in  the  nineteenth  century:  "Whether  thou 
comest  in  sunshine  or  in  rain,  I  would  take  thee  into  my 
heart  joyfully.  Thou  art  thyself  more  than  the  sunshine; 
thou  art  thyself  compensation  for  the  rain.  It  is  thee  and 
not  thy  gifts  I  crave."  This  view  of  prayer  is  neither 
peculiarly  modern  nor  ancient;  it  is  the  common  property 
of  all  Christian  seers  who  have  penetrated  to  the  heart  of 
praying.  The  intellectual  puzzles  are  found  in  the  fringes 
of  prayer;  prayer  at  its  center  is  as  simple  and  as  profound 
as  friendship. 


The  inevitable  effect  of  this  sort  of  communion  is  that  God 
becomes  real.  Only  to  one  who  prays  can  God  make  himself 
•vivid.  Robertson  of  Brighton  has  already  described  for  us 
his  crude  ideas  of  prayer  in  his  boyhood.  Listen  to  him, 
however,  as  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  he  writes:  "It  seems  to 
me  now  that  I  can  always  see,  in  uncertainty,  the  leading  of 
God's  hand  after  prayer,  when  everything  seems  to  be  made 
clear  and  plain  before  the  eyes.  In  two  or  three  instances  I 
have  had  evidence  of  this  which  I  cannot  for  a  moment 
doubt."  An  experience  like  this  makes  God  vivid,  but  to 
many  people  God  is  only  a  vague  Being  in  whom  they  dimly 
believe  but  with  whom  they  have  no  dealings.  They  have 
heard  of  him  in  the  home  from  childhood  and  never  have 
entirely  escaped  the  influence  of  their  early  teaching  about 

35 


[II-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

him ;  they  have  heard  of  him  in  the  church  and  find  it 
difficult  to  doubt  what  everywhere,  always,  and  by  all  has  been 
believed  concerning  him ;  they  have  heard  of  him  from  the 
philosophers,  and  when  a  scientist  like  Sir  Oliver  Lodge  says, 
"Atheism  is  so  absurd  that  I  do  not  know  how  to  put  it  into 
words,"  they  see  no  reason  to  dispute.  But  all  this  is  like 
the  voice  of  many  astronomers  saying  that  there  are  rings 
about  Saturn.  Men  believe  it  who  never  saw  the  rings.  They 
believe  it,  but  the  rings  have  no  influence  upon  their  lives.  They 
believe  it,  but  they  have  no  personal  dealings  with  the  object 
of  their  faith.  So  men  think  that  God  is,  but  they  never 
have  met  him.  They  never  have  come  into  that  personal 
experience  of  communion  with  God  which  says :  "/  had  heard 
of  thee  by  the  hearing  of  the  car;  but  now  mine  eye  seeth 
thee"  (Job  42:5)- 

Nothing  is  real  to  us  except  those  things  with  which  we 
habitually  deal.  Men  say  that  they  do  not  pray  because  to 
them  God  is  not  real,  but  a  truer  statement  generally  would 
be  that  God  is  not  real  because  they  do  not  pray.  Granted 
a  belief  that  God  is,  the  practice  of  prayer  is  necessary  to 
make  God  not  merely  an  idea  held  in  the  mind  but  a  Presence 
recognised  in  the  life.  In  an  exclamation  that  came  from 
the  heart  of  personal  religion,  the  Psalmist  cried,  "O  God, 
thou  art  my  God"  (Psalm  63:1).  To  stand  afar  off  and 
say  "O  God,"  is  neither  difficult  nor  searching.  We  do  it 
when  we  give  intellectual  assent  to  a  creed  that  calls  God 
"Infinite  in  being  and  perfection;  almighty,  most  wise,  most 
holy,  most  free,  most  absolute ;  working  all  things  according 
to  the  counsel  of  his  own  immutable  and  most  righteous 
will."  In  such  a  way  to  say,  "O  God,"  is  easy,  but  it  is  an 
inward  and  searching  matter  to  say,  "O  God,  thou  art  my 
God."  The  first  is  theology,  the  second  is  religion;  the 
first  involves  only  opinion,  the  second  involves  vital  experi- 
ence; the  first  can  be  reached  by  thought,  the  second  must 
be  reached  by  prayer;  the  first  leaves  God  afar  off,  the 
second  alone  makes  him  real.  To  be  sure,  all  Christian 
service  where  we  consciously  ally  ourselves  with  God's  pur- 
pose, and  all  insight  into  history  where  we  see  God's  provi- 
dence at  work,  help  to  make  God  real  to  us;  but  there  is  an 
inward  certainty  of  God  that  can  come  only  from  personal 
communion  with  God.  "God,"  said  Emerson,  "enters  by  a 
private  door  into  every  individual." 

36 


PRAYER  AS  COMMUNION  WITH  GOD     [II-sJ 

One  day  in  Paris,  a  religious  procession  carrying  a  crucifix 
passed  Voltaire  and  a  friend.  Voltaire,  who  was  generally 
regarded  as  an  infidel,  lifted  his  hat.  "What !"  the  friend 
exclaimed,  "are  you  reconciled  with  God?"  And  Voltaire 
with  fine  irony  replied:  "We  salute,  but  we  do  not  speak." 
That  phrase  is  a  true  description  of  many  men's  relationship 
with  God.  They  believe  that  God  is;  they  cannot  explain 
the  universe  without  him;  they  are  theists,  but  they  main- 
tain no  personal  relationships  with  him.  They  salute,  but 
they  do  not  speak.  They  believe  in  the  church,  and,  espe- 
cially in  sensitive  moments  when  some  experience  has  sub- 
dued them  to  reverence,  they  are  moved  by  the  dignity  and 
exaltation  of  the  church's  services,  but  they  have  no  personal 
fellowship  with  God.  They  salute,  but  they  do  not  speak. 

When  men  complain,  then,  that  God  is  not  real  to  them, 
the  reply  is  fair:  How  can  God  be  real  to  some  of  us? 
What  conditions  have  we  fulfilled  that  would  make  anybody 
real?  Those  earthly  friendships  have  most  vivid  reality  and 
deepest  meaning  for  us,  where  a  constant  sense  of  spiritual 
fellowship  is  refreshed  occasionally  by  special  reunions.  The 
curtain  that  divides  us  from  the  thought  of  our  friend  is 
never  altogether  closed,  but  at  times  soul  talks  with  soul  in 
conscious  fellowship.  The  friend  grows  real.  We  enter 
into  new  thankfulness  for  him,  new  appreciation  of  him,  new 
intimacy  with  him.  No  friendship  can  sustain  the  neglect 
of  such  communion.  Even  God  grows  unreal,  ceases  to  be 
our  Unseen  Friend  and  dwindles  into  a  cold  hypothesis  to  ex- 
plain the  world,  when  we  forget  communion. 

Jude  expressed  a  deep  insight  into  the  necessities  of  the 
spiritual  life,  when  he  said :  "Keep  yourselves  in  the  love 
of  God"  (vs.  21 ). 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

What  are   the  primary  practical  difficulties  in  prayer? 

Why  does  a  child  lose  confidence  in  prayer  if  it  is  not 
literally  answered? 

How  far  do  men  continue  to  pray  who  believe  in  prayer  as 
spiritual  exercise  ? 

What  difficulties  in  prayer  are  set  forth  in  Psalm  22:1-5? 
How  far  are  these  typical? 

37 


[II-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

In  your  experience,  what  have  been  the  chief  practical 
difficulties  in  praying? 

If  no  petition  were  ever  answered,  would  it  still  be  worth 
while  to  pray? 

What  light  does  the  Bible  throw  upon  these  practical  diffi- 
culties? 

What  was  the  difference  in  the  prayer  of  the  prodigal  on 
leaving  and  returning  home? 

What  was  the  essential  element  in  prayer  in  the  experience 
of  Jesus?  Did  Jesus  receive  everything  he  prayed  for? 
Why  did  Jesus  pray? 

Why  did  the  disciples  ask  Jesus  to  teach  them  to  pray? 

Why  is  communion  -with  God  the  central  idea  of  prayer? 

What  is  the  greatest  gift  that  any  friend  gives  another? 
What  is  the  essence  of  any  personal  relationship?  Is  this  true 
of  relationship  with  God? 

How  does  communion  with  God  differ  from  the  experience 
of  human  friendship? 

What  effect  upon  the  prayer  life  has  the  experience  of  prayer 
as  communion  with  God? 

What  is  necessary  for  the  maintenance  of  communion  with 
God? 


CHAPTER  III 

God's  Care  for  the  Individual 

DAILY  READINGS 

First  Day,  Third  Week 

Perhaps  the  greatest  single  difficulty  in  maintaining  the 
habit  of  prayer  is  our  tendency  to  make  of  it  a  pious  form 
and  not  a  vital  transaction.  We  begin  by  trying  to  pray 
and  end  by  saying  prayers.  To  urge  ourselves  to  a  practice 
that  has  thus  become  a  stereotyped  and  lifeless  form  is 
futile.  Nobody  ever  succeeds  in  praying  as  a  tour  de  force; 
but  if  the  act  of  prayer  can  be  seeu  as  the  great  Christians 
have  seen  it — a  vital  and  sustaining  friendship  with  a  God 
who  cares  for  every  one  of  us — praying  will  cease  being  a 
form  and  become  a  force  and  a  privilege.  Note  the  vitality 
of  prayer  as  the  Psalmist  has  experienced  it: 

My  soul,  wait  thou  in  silence  for  God  only; 

For  my  expectation  is  from  him. 

He  only  is  my  rock  and  my  salvation: 

He  is  my  high  tower;  I  shall  not  be  moved. 

With  God  is  my  salvation  and  my  glory: 

The  rock  of  my  strength,  and  my  refuge,  is  in   God. 

Trust  in  him  at  all  times,  ye  people; 

Pour  out  your  heart  before  him: 

God  is  a  refuge  for  us. — Psalm  62 :  5-8. 

In  confirmation  of  this  same  experience  in  our  own  day, 
consider  the  testimony  of  Sir  Wilfred  Grenfell :  "The  privi- 
lege of  prayer  to  me  is  one  of  the  most  cherished  possessions, 
because  faith  and  experience  alike  convince  me  that  God 
himself  sees  and  answers,  and  his  answers  I  never  venture 
to  criticise.  It  is  only  my  part  to  ask.  It  is  entirely  his  to 
give  or  withhold,  as  he  knows  is  best.  If  it  were  otherwise, 

39 


[III-2]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

I  would  not  dare  to  pray  at  all.  In  the  quiet  of  home,  in 
the  heat  of  life  and  strife,  in  the  face  of  death,  the  privilege 
of  speech  with  God  is  inestimable.  I  value  it  more  because 
it  calls  for  nothing  that  the  wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool, 
cannot  give — that  is,  the  simplest  expression  to  his  simplest 
desire.  When  I  can  neither  see,  nor  hear,  nor  speak,  still 
I  can  pray  so  that  God  can  hear.  When  I  finally  pass  through 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  expect  to  pass  through 
it  in  conversation  with  him." 

O  Lord,  renew  our  spirits  and  draw  our  hearts  unto  Thy- 
self that  our  work  may  not  be  to  us  a  burden,  but  a  delight; 
and  give  us  such  a  mighty  love  to  Thee  as  may  sweeten  all 
our  obedience.  Oh,  let  us  not  serve  Thee  with  the  spirit  of 
bondage  as  slaves,  but  with  the  cheerfulness  and  gladness 
of  children,  delighting  ourselves  in  Thee  and  rejoicing  in 
Thy  work.  Amen. — Benjamin  Jenks  (1646-1724). 

Second  Day,  Third  Week 

One  of  the  root  reasons  why  prayer  becomes  merely  a 
pious  form  is  that  while  people  believe  in  God  in  a  general 
and  vague  fashion,  they  do  not  vividly  grasp  the  idea  that 
God  cares  for  and  is  dealing  with  every  one  of  us. 

How  think  ye?  If  any  man  have  a  hundred  sheep, 
and  one  of  them  be  gone  astray,  doth  he  not  leave  the 
ninety  and  nine,  and  go  unto  the  mountains,  and  seek 
that  which  goeth  astray?  And  if  so  be  that  he  find  it, 
verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  rejoiceth  over  it  more  than 
over  the  ninety  and  nine  which  have  not  gone  astray. 
Even  so  it  is  not  the  will  of  your  Father  who  is  in 
heaven,  that  one  of  these  little  ones  should  perish. — Matt. 
18: 12-14. 

A  man  may  hold  true  this  individual  care  of  God  for 
each  of  his  children,  and  still  may  not  practice  habitual 
prayer,  but  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  anyone  can  practice 
habitual  prayer  if  he  does  not  hold  for  true  that  God  loves 
every  one  of  us.  Who  can  continue  praying,  in  any  Christian 
sense,  to  a  God  that  does  not  care?  For  prayer,  at  least,  a 
God  who  does  not  care,  does  not  count.  Haeckel,  the  mate- 
rialist, has  displaced  the  Creator  by  a  primal  substance  which 

40 


GOD'S  CARE  FOR  THE  INDIVIDUAL     [III-3] 

he  solemnly  crowns  Emperor  of  the  universe  under  the  title 
of  "Mobile  Cosmic  Ether."  Can  we  imagine  anyone  finding 
vital  and  sustaining  help  in  supplications  addressed  to  such 
an  object,  or  are  vast  congregations  likely  to  be  stirred  in 
adoration,  praying,  "O  Mobile  Cosmic  Ether,  hallowed  be 
thy  name  1"  Why  not  ?  Is  not  the  reason  simply  this,  that 
the  God  to  whom  real  prayer  is  made  must  care  for  us  as  a 
race  and  as  individuals? 

Almighty  God,  the  refuge  of  all  that  are  distressed,  grant 
unto  us  that,  in  all  trouble  of  this  our  mortal  life,  we  may 
flee  to  the  knowledge  of  Thy  lovingkindness  and  tender 
mercy;  that  so,  sheltering  ourselves  therein,  the  storms  of 
life  may  pass  over  us,  and  not  shake  the  peace  of  God  that 
is  within  us.  Whatsoever  this  life  may  bring  us,  grant  that  it 
may  never  take  from  us  the  full  faith  that  Thou  art  our 
Father.  Grant  us  Thy  light,  that  we  may  have  life,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. — George  Dawson  (1821-1876). 

Third  Day,  Third  Week 

Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a  penny?  and  not  one 
of  them  shall  fall  on  the  ground  without  your  Father: 
but  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered.  Fear 
not  therefore:  ye  are  of  more  value  than  many  sparrows. 
— Matt.  10:29-31. 

Let  us  face  again  today  that  formality  in  prayer  that 
comes  from  a  failure  to  grasp  the  individual  love  of  God. 
There  are  real  difficulties  for  the  mind  to  face  when  it  tries 
to  believe  that  God  so  cares  for  each  of  us,  but  perhaps 
even  greater  for  most  people  is  the  difficulty  that  the 
imagination  faces.  In  this  vast  universe  how  can  we  picture 
God  as  caring  for  every  individual  thing,  even  to  stricken 
sparrows  and  to  the  hairs  of  our  head  ?  Consider,  however, 
the  scientific  truth  of  gravitation,  that  the  whole  earth  rises 
to  meet  a  child's  ball,  just  as  truly  as  the  ball  falls  to  meet 
the  earth,  and  that  only  the  lack  of  sensitiveness  in  our 
instruments  prevents  us  from  measuring  the  earth's  ascent 
as  it  responds  to  the  pull  of  the  child's  toy.  Can  we  imagine 
that?  Is  it  not  unimaginable,  though  plainly  true?  And  if 
in  a  gravitate  system  a  whole  planet  moves  to  meet  a  tossed 


[III-4]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

ball,  we  ought  not  to  dismiss,  for  reasons  of  weak  imagina- 
tion, the  truth  that  in  a  love-system  of  persons,  the  Eternal 
God  responds  to  each  child's  approach.  As  Kipling  sings : 

"Who  clears   the  grounding  berg, 
And  guides  the  grinding  floe, 
He  hears  the  cry  of  the  little  kit  fox, 
And  the  lemming  on  the  snow." 

O  Thou  good  omnipotent,  who  so  carest  for  every  one  of 
us,  as  if  Thou  caredst  for  him  alone;  and  so  for  all,  as  if 
all  were  but  one!  Blessed  is  the  man  who  loveth  Thee,  and 
his  friend  in  Thee,  and  his  enemy  for  Thee.  I  behold  how 
some  things  pass  away  that  others  may  replace  them,  but 
Thou  dost  never  depart.  O  God,  my  Father,  supremely  good, 
Beauty  of  all  things  beautiful,  to  Thee  will  I  intrust  what- 
soever I  have  received  from  Thee,  and  so  shall  I  lose  nothing. 
Thou  modest  me  for  Thyself,  and  my  heart  is  restless  until 
it  repose  in  Thee.  Amen. — St.  Augustine  (354-430). 

Fourth  Day,  Third  Week 

Neither  for  these  only  do  I  pray,  but  for  them  also 
that  believe  on  me  through  their  word;  that  they  may  all 
be  one;  even  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee, 
that  they  also  may  be  in  us:  that  the  world  may  believe 
that  thou  didst  send  me.  And  the  glory  which  thou 
hast  given  me  I  have  given  unto  them;  that  they  may 
be  one,  even  as  we  are  one;  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me, 
that  they  may  be  perfected  into  one;  that  the  world  may 
know  that  thou  didst  send  me,  and  lovedst  them,  even 
as  thou  lovedst  me. — John  17:20-23. 

It  is  easy  to  think  that  God's  love  centered  about  the 
Master,  but  consider  what  it  would  mean  for  prayer  vitally 
to  believe  that  God  so  cares  for  each  of  us — "lovedst  them, 
even  as  thou  lovedst  me!"  As  Silvester  Home  puts  it  in  his 
Yale  lectures:  "What  is  the  Gospel? — It  is  contained  in  a 
verse  of  one  of  the  greatest  Christian  hymns: 

'Were  the  whole  realm  of  Nature  mine, 

That  were  a  present  far  too  small ! 
Love  so  amazing,  so  Divine, 

Demands  my  soul ! ' 

42 


GOD'S  CARE  FOR  THE  INDIVIDUAL     [III-S] 

That  is  to  say  that  my  soul  is  a  greater  and  bigger  thing 
than  the  whole  realm  of  nature.  Do  you  believe  it?  I 
agree  it  is  the  most  romantic  of  all  beliefs.  It  affirms  that 
the  soul  of  every  forced  laborer  on  the  Amazon  is  of  more 
value  than  all  the  mines  of  Johannesburg,  all  the  diamonds 
of  Kimberly,  all  the  millions  of  all  the  magnates  of  America. 
It  affirms  that  in  God's  sight  all  the  suns  and  stars  that 
people  infinite  space,  are  of  inferior  worth  to  one  human 
spirit  dwelling,  it  may  be,  in  the  degraded  body  of  some 
victim  of  drink  or  lust,  some  member  of  the  gutter  popula- 
tion of  a  great  city  who  has  descended  to  his  doom  by  means 
of  the  multiplied  temptations  with  which  our  so-called  society 
environs  him.  It  is  a  romantic  creed.  But  if  it  is  not  true 
Christianity  itself  is  false."  Has  your  failure  in  prayer  been 
due  to  your  failure  in  apprehending  for  yourself  this  heart 
of  the  Gospel? 

O  God,  mercifully  grant  unto  us  that  the  fire  of  Thy  love 
may  burn  up  in  us  all  things  that  displease  Thee,  and  make  us 
meet  for  Thy  heavenly  Kingdom. — Roman  Breviary. 

Fifth  Day,  Third  Week 

For  we  have  not  a  high  priest  that  cannot  be  touched 
with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities;  but  one  that  hath  been 
in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin. 
Let  us  therefore  draw  near  with  boldness  unto  the 
throne  of  grace,  that  we  may  receive  mercy,  and  may 
find  grace  to  help  us  in  time  of  need. — Hebrews  4: 15,  16. 

Note  the  sequence  of  thought  in  these  verses :  first,  the 
revelation  in  Christ  of  a  God  who  cares;  and  second,  re- 
sultant confidence  in  the  reality  of  prayer.  In  contrast  with 
this  reality  of  prayer  to  those  who  apprehend  the  personal 
love  of  God,  consider  how  many  people  know  prayer  only 
as  an  inherited  bit  of  propriety.  Prayer  to  them  is  a  formality 
because  it  is  a  practice  taught  in  infancy,  and  maintained  by 
force  of  habit  as  a  tradition.  It  is  not  vital.  It  does  not 
mean  "Grace  to  help  us  in  time  of  need."  They  are  true  to 
George  Eliot's  description  of  Hetty  in  Adam  Bede :  "Hetty 
was  one  of  those  numerous  people  who  have  had  god-fathers 
and  god-mothers,  learned  their  catechism,  been  confirmed, 

43 


[III-6]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

and  gone  to  church  every  Sunday,  and  yet  for  any  practical 
result  of  strength  in  life,  or  trust  in  death,  have  never 
appropriated  a  single  Christian  idea  or  Christian  feeling." 
Over  against  such  a  futile  form  of  religion  consider  a  vital 
prayer  like  this  of  Thomas  a  Kempis,  founded  on  the  thought 
of  God's  individual  love. 

Ah,  Lord  God,  Thou  holy  Lover  of  my  soul,  when  Thou 
tamest  into  my  soul,  all  that  is  within  me  shall  rejoice. 
Thou  art  my  Glory  and  the  exultation  of  my  heart;  Thou 
•art  my  Hope  and  Refuge  in  the  day  of  my  trouble.  Set  me 
free  from  all  evil  passions,  and  heal  my  heart  of  all  inordinate 
•affections;  that,  being  inwardly  cured  and  thoroughly  cleansed, 
I  may  be  made  fit  to  love,  courageous  to  suffer,  steady  to 
'persevere.  Nothing  is  sweeter  than  Love,  nothing  more 
courageous,  nothing  fuller  nor  better  in  heaven  and  earth; 
because  Love  is  born  of  God,  and  cannot  rest  but  in  God, 
•above  all  created  things.  Let  me  love  Thee  more  than  my- 
jelf,  nor  love  myself  but  for  Thee.  Amen. — Thomas  a 
Kempis  (1379-1471). 

Sixth  Day,  Third  Week 

To  many  people  prayer  is  a  pious  practice  rather  than  a 
vital  transaction,  not  so  much  because  it  is  an  inherited  bit 
•of  propriety,  but  because  it  is  looked  upon  as  a  good  work 
which  wins  merit  in  the  eyes  of  God.  Men  think  of  prayer 
as  a  safe  practice  to  indulge  in  if  they  are  to  keep  on  good 
terms  with  God.  They  go  through  it  as  a  courtier  might 
-observe  the  rituals  of  obeisance  that  please  the  king  and  the 
neglect  of  which  might  get  a  careless  man  into  trouble. 
Prayer  to  many  is  a  safety  appliance,  like  a  lightning-rod, 
upward  raised  lest  the  Eternal  God,  seeing  their  neglect, 
fall  foul  of  them.  It  is  founded  on  fear.  They  conceive 
that  the  saying  of  prayer  is  a  measure  of  protection  which 
they  would  better  attend  to.  What  a  pitiful  misunderstand- 
ing of  prayer!  Prayer  is  not  a  "good  work"  in  return  for 
which  a  blessing  is  given,  as  men  buy  and  sell  over  the 
counter.  Our  pious  practices  are  as  useless  as  a  Tibetan 
prayer  wheel,  unless  at  the  heart  of  them  all  is  conscious 
fellowship  with  the  Father  who  cares. 

44 


GOD'S  CARE  FOR  THE  INDIVIDUAL     [III-;] 

Listen  to  Isaiah's  expression  of  God's  contempt  for  formal 
worship  without  spiritual  meaning: 

What  unto  me  is  the  multitude  of  your  sacrifices? 
saith  Jehovah:  I  have  had  enough  of  the  burnt-offerings 
of  rams,  and  the  fat  of  fed  beasts;  and  I  delight  not  in 
the  blood  of  bullocks,  or  of  lambs,  or  of  he-goats.  When 
ye  come  to  appear  before  me,  who  hath  required  this 
at  your  hand,  to  trample  my  courts?  Bring  no  more 
vain  oblations;  incense  is  an  abomination  unto  me;  new 
moon  and  sabbath,  the  calling  of  assemblies, — I  cannot 
away  with  iniquity  and  the  solemn  meeting.  Your  new 
moons  and  your  appointed  feasts  my  soul  hateth;  they 
are  a  trouble  unto  me;  I  am  weary  of  bearing  them.  And 
when  ye  spread  forth  your  hands,  I  will  hide  mine  eyes 
from  you;  yea,  when  ye  make  many  prayers,  I  will  not 
hear:  your  hands  are  full  of  blood. — Isaiah  1:11-15. 

Most  loving  Lord,  give  me  a  childlike  love  of  Thee,  which 
may  cast  out  all  fear.  Amen. — E.  B.  Pusey  (1800-1882). 

Seventh  Day,  Third  Week 

For  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  these  are 
sons  of  God.  For  ye  received  not  the  spirit  of  bondage 
again  unto  fear;  but  ye  received  the  spirit  of  adoption, 
whereby  we  cry,  Abba,  Father.  The  Spirit  himself  bear- 
eth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  children  of  God: 
and  if  children,  then  heirs;  heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs 
with  Christ. — Romans  8:  14-17. 

In  the  light  of  this  passage  how  impossible  to  think  of 
saying  prayers  as  merely  a  pious  practice.  Prayer  seen  in  the 
light  of  this  Christian  truth  becomes  at  once  the  claiming  of 
our  sonship,  the  appropriation  of  our  heritage.  All  through 
the  New  Testament  the  reader  is  conscious  that  wealth  is 
waiting  to  be  claimed.  "Unsearchable  riches  of  Christ," 
"Rich  toward  God,"  "Heirs  of  God,"  phrases  such  as  these 
suggest  the  sense  of  spiritual  wealth  in  which  the  first  Chris- 
tians rejoiced.  They  had  found  an  Eldorado  in  the  Gospel 
that  God  loved  every  son  of  man.  Now,  prayer  is  the  active 
appropriation  of  this  wealth.  Of  how  many  of  us  is  it  true 
that  friendship  with  God  is  an  unclaimed  heritage!  We  have 
the  title-deeds  in  our  church  membership,  but  we  do  not 

45 


[III-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

have  the  spiritual  riches  in  our  lives.    In  our  prayers  we  are 
not  appropriating  our  faith  that  God  really  does  care. 

Grant  me,  even  me,  my  dearest  Lord,  to  know  Thee,  and 
love  Thee,  and  rejoice  in  Thee.  And,  if  I  cannot  do  these  per- 
fectly in  this  life,  let  me  at  least  advance  to  higher  degrees 
every  day,  till  I  can  come  to  do  them  in  perfection.  Let  the 
knowledge  of  Thee  increase  in  me  here,  that  it  may  be  full 
hereafter.  Let  the  love  of  Thee  grow  every  day  more  and 
more  here,  that  it  may  be  perfect  hereafter;  that  my  joy  may 
be  great  in  itself,  and  full  in  Thee.  I  know,  O  God,  that 
Thou  art  a  God  of  truth;  O  make  good  Thy  gracious  promises 
to  me,  that  my  joy  may  be  full.  Amen. — St.  Augustine 
(354-430). 

COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 
I 

When  a  man,  making  earnest  with  prayer,  sets  himself  to 
practice  communion  with  God,  he  is  likely  to  awaken  with 
a  start  some  day  to  a  disturbing  reflection.  "This  thing  that 
I  am  doing,"  he  well  may  say,  "presupposes  that  the  Almighty 
God  takes  a  personal  interest  in  me.  I  am  taking  for  granted 
when  I  pray  that  the  Eternal  is  specially  solicitous  on  my 
behalf.  Praying  may  seem  a  simple  matter,  but  on  what  an 
enormous  assumption  does  it  rest !"  Now,  this  reflection  ac- 
cords entirely  with  the  facts.  Prayer  does  involve  confidence 
that  God  takes  interest  in  the  individual  who  prays.  The  fact, 
for  example,  that  the  Bible  is  preeminently  a  book  of  prayer, 
involves  of  necessity  the  companion  fact  that  the  God  of  the 
Bible  cares  for  individuals.  He  knows  all  the  stars  by  name 
(Psalm  147:4);  he  numbers  the  hairs  of  our  heads  (Matt. 
10 : 30)  ;  of  all  the  sparrows  "not  one  of  them  is  forgotten  in 
the  sight  of  God"  (Luke  12:6).  John  is  expressing  his  thought 
of  God  as  well  as  his  interpretation  of  Christ  when  he  says, 
"He  calleth  his  own  sheep  by  name"  (John  10:3).  God  is 
like  a  shepherd  who  misses  even  one  lost  from  his  flock,  a 
housewife  who  seeks  for  a  single  coin,  a  father  who  grieves 
for  one  boy  gone  wrong  (Luke  15).  Of  all  the  children  in 
the  world,  says  Jesus,  "It  is  not  the  will  of  your  Father  .  .  . 
that  one  of  these  little  ones  should  perish"  (Matt.  18:14). 

46 


GOD'S  CARE  FOR  THE  INDIVIDUAL     [III-c] 

Throughout  the  Bible,  and  especially  in  the  New  Testament, 
God  is  not  a  king  dealing  with  men  in  masses.  He  is  no 
Napoleon,  who,  warned  by  Metternich  that  a  campaign  would 
cost  a  million  men,  said,  "What  are  a  million  men  to  me?" 
God  is  a  father,  and  the  essence  of  fatherhood  is  individual 
care  for  the  children.  For  all  that  there  are  so  many  of  us, 
as  St.  Augustine  said,  "He  loves  us  every  one  as  though  there 
were  but  one  of  us  to  love."  That  is  the  message  of  the  Book, 
and  it  underlies  the  possibility  of  vital  prayer. 

This  truth  that  God  cares  for  every  one  of  us  is  easy  to 
speak  about,  beautiful  to  contemplate,  but  hard  to  believe. 
How  can  God  care  for  each  of  us?  We  know  the  heart 
of  Jesus  well  enough  to  understand  that  he  loved  every  one 
he  met.  But  God?  How  can  we  make  it  real  to  ourselves 
that  he  who  sustains  the  milky  way,  who  holds  Orion  and  the 
Pleiades  in  his  leash,  knows  us  by  name? 

II 

For  one  thing,  we  seem  too  small  and  insignificant  for  him 
to  know.  If  God  cares  for  each  of  us,  that  presupposes  in 
us  a  degree  of  value  and  importance  surpassing  imagination ; 
and  as  one  considers  the  vastness  of  the  physical  universe,  it 
seems  almost  unbelievable  that  individual  men  can  be  worth 
so  much.  Even  the  Psalmist  felt  the  wonder  of  man's  worth 
in  such  a  world,  when  he  cried :  "When  I  consider  thy  heavens, 
the  work  of  thy  fingers,  the  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou 
hast  ordained;  what  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
And  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him?"  (Psalm  8:3,  4). 
The  Psalmist,  however,  never  saw  more  than  6,000  stars  on 
the  clearest  night  when  he  looked  at  the  sky  from  the  heights 
of  Zion.  We  today  can  see  100,000,000  of  them  through  our 
telescopes ;  and  when  we  put  a  photographic  plate,  instead  of 
our  eyes,  at  the  orifice  of  the  instrument,  we  obtain  indications 
of  multitudes  more.  When,  therefore,  a  modern  psalmist  like 
Tennyson  thinks  of  man's  possible  value  in  so  great  a  uni- 
verse, he  feels  the  terrific  urge  of  doubt;  he  gathers  all  the 
activities  of  mankind,  our  wars,  politics,  arts  and  sciences, 
and  cries, 

"What  is  it  all  but  the.  murmur  of  gnats 
In  the  gleam  of  a  million  million  suns?" 

47 


[III-cj  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

How  in  the  face  of  this  new  knowledge  of  the  universe  can 
we  pray  in  the  confidence  that  God  knows  and  cares  for 
each  one  of  us? 

Many  a  man's  faith  is  undone  and  his  prayers  stopped  by 
this  appalling  contrast  between  the  size  of  the  world  and 
his  own  smallness.  The  microscope,  however,  should  counter- 
act a  little  the  disheartening  influence  of  the  telescope.  It  is 
evident  that  the  Power  which  cares  for  the  stars  cares  for 
all  things  with  utter  disregard  of  size.  Inside  any  common 
pin  as  marvelous  activity  is  going  on  as  ever  was  present 
among  the  stars.  Here  are  electrons  so  many  and  so  small 
that  the  race  in  a  million  years  could  not  count  them,  and 
yet  not  one  electron  touches  another.  In  comparison  with 
their  size  they  are  as  far  apart  as  the  planets  of  a  solar  system. 
Endlessly  they  revolve  about  each  other,  and  no  one  ever 
slips  by  an  infinitesimal  degree  from  the  control  of  law.  Not 
strong  reason  but  weak  imagination  leads  us  to  be  terrified 
by  the  mere  size  of  the  universe  into  the  thought  that  God 
cannot  care  for  us.  So  far  as  physical  nature  has  any 
testimony  to  bear  on  the  matter  at  all,  she  says,  "There  is 
nothing  too  great  for  the  Creator  to  accomplish,  and  nothing 
too  small  for  him  to  attend  to.  The  microscopic  world  is  his, 
as  well  as  the  stars." 

The  real  answer  to  our  doubt,  however,  comes  not  from 
physical  nature  at  all,  but  from  spiritual  insight.  We  are  so 
small  that  God  cannot  care  for  every  one  of  us?  But  surely, 
we  ourselves  are  not  accustomed  to  judge  comparative  value 
by  size.  As  children  we  may  have  chosen  a  penny  rather 
than  a  dime  because  the  penny  was  larger ;  but  as  maturity 
arrives,  that  basis  of  choice  is  outgrown.  The  dearest  posses- 
sions of  the  human  race — diamonds  and  little  children,  for 
example — are  rather  notable  for  their  comparative  smallness. 
A  mother's  love  for  her  baby  is  not  a  matter  of  pounds  and 
ounces.  When  one  believes  in  God  at  all,  the  consequence  is 
plain.  God  must  have  at  least  our  spiritual  insight  to  per- 
ceive the  difference  between  size  and  -worth.  Mere  bulk  can- 
not deceive  him.  He  must  know  where  in  all  his  universe  the 
real  values  lie. 

As  to  where  the  real  values  do  lie,  the  thoughtful  of  all 
races  have  unanimously  agreed  that  they  are  found  inside 
personality,  not  outside  of  it.  Tennyson's  word  is  a  summary 
of  the  best  thought  of  all  time : 

48 


GOD'S  CARE  FOR  THE  INDIVIDUAL     [III-c] 

"For  tho'  the  Giant  Ages  heave  the  hill 
And  break  the  shore,  and  evermore 
Make  and  break,  and  work  their  will — 
Tho'  world  on  world  in  myriad  myriads  roll 
Round  us,  each  with  different  powers, 
And  other  forms  of  life  than  ours, 
What  know  we  greater  than  the  soul?" 

The  thinker  is  of  nobler  worth  than  any  external  thing  that 
he  can  think  about;  the  seer  is  more  wonderful  than  all  he 
sees;  and  righteousness,  friendship,  generosity,  courage,  wis- 
dom, love,  functions  of  personality,  all  of  them,  are,  so 
far  as  value  goes,  worth  more  than  infinite  galaxies  of  stars. 
No  star  ever  knew  that  it  was  even  being  gazed  upon.  No 
star  ever  felt  God's  hand  upon  it,  or  was  moved  by  gratitude 
for  its  creation,  preservation,  and  all  the  blessings  of  this  life. 
As  an  astronomer  watches  the  unconscious  heavens,  does  not 
God  know,  as  we  do,  that  the  man,  with  his  powers  of 
vision,  intellect,  volition,  and  character,  is  far  more  marvel- 
ous than  all  the  stars  he  sees  ?  We  may  as  well  deny  God's 
existence  altogether,  as,  granting  his  existence,  affirm  that  he 
is  enamoured  by  hugeness,  in  love  with  avoirdupois,  and 
blind  to  spiritual  values.  To  gain  the  whole  world  and 
lose  a  soul  would  be  a  poor  bargain  for  God  as  well  as  for 
man.  Personality  is  the  one  infinitely  valuable  treasure  in 
the  universe.  If  God  is,  he  cares;  if  he  cares,  he  cares  for 
personality.  "For  Jehovah's  portion  is  his  people"  (Deut. 
32:9)- 

III 

The  difficulty  which  many  experience  in  trying  to  conceive 
of  God's  individual  care,  is  complicated  by  the  fact  that  not 
only  are  we  small,  but  there  arc  countless  multitudes  of  us. 
With  so  many  people,  how  can  God  know  us  all  by  name? 
This  difficulty  is  one  of  the  commonest  stumbling  blocks  to 
prayer,  and  yet  its  mere  statement  ought  to  be  its  sufficient 
refutation.  Could  anything  be  more  plainly  an  attempt  to 
make  God  in  man's  image  than  this  suggestion  that  his  powers 
may  be  inadequate  to  his  responsibilities?  "It  is  hard  for  us 
to  keep  individual  interest  in  many  people,"  we  are  saying, 
"therefore  it  must  be  hard  for  God."  This  crude  and  childish 

49 


[III-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

imposition  of  our  human  limitations  on  God,  this  fear  that 
he  will  find  it  trying  to  remember  so  many,  springs  not  from 
good  reason  but  from  immature  thoughtlessness. 

"There  was  an  old  woman,  who  lived  in  a  shoe ; 
She  had  so  many  children,  she  didn't  know  what  to  do." 

Is  that  nursery  rhyme  to  represent  our  picture  of  God  ? 

We  may  help  ourselves  to  the  conception  of  God's  individual 
care,  which  is  essential  to  all  vital  and  earnest  praying,  by 
noting  that  knowledge,  when  it  moves  out  toward  omniscience, 
always  breaks  up  vague  masses  into  individual  units,  and  cares 
for  each  of  them.  When  an  ignoramus  goes  into  a  library, 
he  can  see  only  long  rows  of  books,  almost  indistinguishable 
as  units.  But  when  the  librarian  comes,  the  student  and  lover 
of  books,  he  knows  each  one  by  name.  Each  volume  has  its 
special  associations ;  he  knows  the  edition,  the  value,  the 
contents,  the  author,  the  purpose.  He  takes  down  one  book 
after  another,  revealing  his  individual  appreciation  of  each. 
The  more  he  knows,  as  a  librarian,  the  less  he  sees  books  in 
the  mass;  the  more  he  knows  them  one  by  one. 

Increasing  knowledge  is  always  thus  not  extensive  only  but 
intensive.  The  average  man  returns  from  seeing  the  turbines 
at  Niagara,  with  a  vague  impression  of  enormous  masses  mov- 
ing at  tremendous  speed.  But  the  engineer?  He  knows 
every  bolt  and  screw,  every  lever  and  piston ;  he  knows  the 
particular  details  of  secret  bearing  and  balanced  strain ;  he 
pokes  his  wrench  around  dark  corners  for  hidden  bolts  that 
the  spectator  never  guessed  were  there.  The  more  he  knows, 
as  an  engineer,  the  more  he  sees  the  details  and  not  the  bulk. 
Ignorance  sees  things  in  mass;  knowledge  breaks  all  masses 
up  into  units  and  knows  each  one;  omniscience  perfectly  un- 
derstands and  cares  for  every  most  minute  detail. 

Consider  then  the  meaning  of  God's  knowledge  of  men. 
When  a  stranger  thinks  of  China,  he  imagines  a  vague  multi- 
tude, with  faces  that  look  all  alike.  When  a  missionary 
thinks  of  China,  the  vague  multitude  is  shaken  loose  in  one 
spot,  and  individuals  there  stand  out,  separately  known  and 
loved.  When  God  thinks  of  China,  he  knows  every  one  of 
the  Chinese  by  name.  He  does  for  humanity  what  a  librarian 
does  for  his  books,  or  an  engineer  for  his  turbines.  We 
stand,  every  one,  separate  in  his  thought.  He  lifts  us  up 

50 


GOD'S  CARE  FOR  THE  INDIVIDUAL     [III-c] 

from  the  obscurity  of  our  littleness ;  he  picks  us  out  from  the 
multitude  of  our  fellows ;  he  gives  to  our  lives  the  dignity 
of  his  individual  care.  The  Eternal  God  calls  us  every  one 
by  name.  He  is  not  the  God  of  mankind  in  the  mass ;  he 
is  the  God  of  Abraham,  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob!  All  great 
pray-ers  have  lived  in  the  power  of  this  individual  relation- 
ship with  God.  They  have  said  with  the  Psalmist, 

"/  will  give  thanks  in  the  great  assembly: 
I  will  praise  thee  among  much  people." 

(Psalm  35:18.) 

IV 

So  important  is  the  vital  apprehension  of  this  truth  that 
we  may  well  approach  it  from  another  angle.  When  one 
believes  in  God  at  all,  he  must  believe  that  God  has  a  purpose 
for  the  universe  as  a  whole.  The  seers  have  uttered  this 
faith  in  scores  of  figures,  but  no  one  of  them  is  adequate  to 
express  the  full  meaning  of  this  confidence  that  creation 
means  something,  has  a  goal,  is  not  a  blind  accident,  but  a 
wise  plan.  "Nothing  walks  with  aimless  feet,"  says  Tenny- 
son. "There  are  no  accidents  with  God,"  says  Longfellow. 
All  who  believe  in  God  must  somehow  share  this  faith.  For 
them  there  is  a  divine  purpose  that  "binds  in  one  book  the 
scattered  leaves  of  all  the  universe."  Indeed,  most  men  do 
believe  this.  The  contrary  position  makes  life  too  empty  and 
futile  to  be  easily  tolerable.  If  there  is  no  purpose  in  creation 
at  all,  if  it  came  from  nowhere,  is  going  nowhere,  and 
means  nothing,  then  the  world  is  like  a  busy  seamstress  sew- 
ing on  a  machine  with  no  thread  in  it.  The  centuries  move 
like  cloths  beneath  the  biting  needle,  but  no  thread  binds  them. 
Nothing  is  being  done.  The  years  will  pass ;  the  machine 
will  wear  out ;  the  scrap-heap  will  claim  it ;  but  there  will 
be  nothing  to  show  for  all  its  toil.  That  is  the  world  without 
divine  purpose;  and  because  such  an  outlook  on  life  makes 
it  utterly  vain  and  futile,  most  men  do  believe  in  "one  far-off 
divine  event,  toward  which  the  whole  creation  moves."  They 
believe  that  there  is  a  thread  of  divine  purpose  in  this  ma- 
chine of  the  universe  and  that  it  binds  the  separate  centuries 
together. 

As  soon  as  we  speak  of  this  general  purpose  of  God,  how- 
Si 


[III-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

ever,  an  inevitable  corollary  faces  us.  Can  God  have  a  fur- 
pose  for  the  whole  and  not  for  the  parts?  Can  an  architect 
thoroughly  plan  a  house  without  planning  the  details?  Shall 
he  stand  upon  the  site  and  say  in  a  vague  and  sweeping 
way,  "Let  there  be  a  house"?  But,  if  you  ask  him  about  the 
chimney  angles  and  the  window  frames,  shall  he  answer, 
"There  is  no  plan  for  them"?  Rather  planning  a  house  con- 
sists in  arranging  the  parts.  And  when  we  turn  from  dealing 
with  things  to  deal  with  persons,  each  one  so  individual  and 
unique,  how  much  more  clear  the  truth  is !  No  father  can 
love  his  family  in  general,  without  loving  the  several  mem- 
bers of  it  in  particular.  So  God  can  neither  care  nor  plan 
for  his  world  as  a  whole,  without  caring  and  planning  for 
each  of  the  individuals  that  make  his  world.  The  faith  of 
the  Bible,  in  the  individual  knowledge,  love,  and  purpose  of 
God  for  each  of  us  is  not  mere  sentiment.  It  is  the  inevitable 
corollary  of  theism.  No  man  can  think  through  the  meaning 
of  belief  in  God  without  coming  to  it.  Purpose  for  the 
universe  and  purpose  for  each  life  are  two  aspects  of  the 
same  thing  and  they  mutually  involve  each  other.  You  can  as 
easily  find  a  shield  with  only  one  side  as  a  purpose  that 
concerns  the  whole  and  not  the  parts.  Here,  too,  God  calls 
us  every  one  by  name.  As  an  Indian  poet  sings, 

"The  subtle  anklets  that  ring  on  the  feet  of  an  insect  when  it 
moves  are  heard  of  Him." 

Whether,  therefore,  we  consider  the  fact  that  God  must 
care  for  value  rather  than  for  size ;  or  the  fact  that  knowledge, 
as  it  grows,  always  breaks  up  masses  into  units  and  under- 
stands each  one  of  them ;  or  the  fact  that  no  love  and  purpose 
in  general  can  fail  to  include  the  particular  parts,  we  come 
to  the  same  conclusion :  God's  individual  care  for  us  is  not 
only  a  reasonable,  it  is  an  inevitable  corollary  of  our  faith. 
Of  course,  God  numbers  the  hairs  of  our  heads !  Just  that 
sort  of  thing  infinite  knowledge  necessarily  implies.  Of 
course,  the  Scripture  cries  in  a  passage,  quoted  by  Jesus,  "All 
of  you  sons  of  the  Most  High!"  (Psalm  82:6).  Just  that 
must  be  said  when  the  fatherhood  of  God  is  believed  at  all. 
Of  course,  it  is  not  God's  will  that  "one  of  these  little  ones 
should  perish"  (Matt.  18:14).  How  could  he  care  for  all 
and  not  for  each?  Of  course,  Jesus  says,  "Having  shut  thy 

52 


GOD'S  CARE  FOR  THE  INDIVIDUAL     [111-cJ 

door,  pray  to  thy  Father  who  is  in  secret"  (Matt.  6:6).  For 
trust  in  God's  individual  love,  if  it  have  normal  growth,  must 
always  flower  out  in  prayer. 


Indeed,  prayer  is  the  personal  appropriation  of  this  faith 
that  God  cares  for  each  of  us.  When  a  man  really  prays 
he  no  longer  leaves  his  thought  of  God's  individual  care  as 
a  theory,  held  in  his  mind,  beautiful  but  ineffective.  He  now 
avails  himself  of  the  truth  which  he  sees;  he  thrusts  his  life 
out  upon  it;  he  enters  into  that  fellowship  with  God  of  which 
the  creed  is  the  theory,  and  prayer  is  the  practice.  It  is  one 
thing  to  think  that  a  man  is  your  friend;  it  is  another  thing 
actively  to  enter  into  friendly  relations  with  him.  So  some 
men  merely  believe  that  God  is,  and  that  he  cares  for  them;, 
but  some  richly  profit  by  their  faith,  so  acting  upon  it  in  prayer 
that  vague  belief  about  God  passes  over  into  transforming, 
relationship  with  him.  Belief  by  itself  is  a  map  of  the  un- 
visited  land  of  God's  care;  prayer  is  actually  traveling  the 
country.  The  tragedy  of  the  church  is  to  be  found  in  the 
thousands  who  fondle  their  credal  maps,  on  which  are  marked 
the  roadways  of  God's  friendship,  but  who  do  not  travel- 
They  would  resent  any  sceptical  doubt  about  God's  love  for 
every  individual,  but  they  do  not  in  habitual  reliance  and  com- 
munion take  advantage  of  the  faith  they  hold.  They  miss  the 
daily  guidance,  the  consciousness  of  divine  resource,  the  sus- 
taining sense  of  God's  presence,  which  can  come  only  to  those 
who  both  believe  that  God  cares  for  each,  and  who  in 
habitual  communion  with  him  are  making  earnest  with  their 
faith. 

When,  therefore,  we  have  satisfied  our  minds  of  God's 
individual  care,  we  have  arrived  at  the  beginning,  not  at  the 
end  of  the  matter.  Now  comes  the  vital  and  searching  task 
of  laying  hold  on  the  experience  of  that  care,  in  whose 
existence  we  believe.  We  must  pass  from  thought  into 
spiritual  activity,  from  the  "industrious  squirrel  work  of  the 
brain"  into  an  adventure  of  the  soul  in  the  practice  of  prayer. 
The  Gospel  offers  a  great  privilege ;  prayer  appropriates  it. 
In  Calvin's  vivid  figure,  "Prayer  digs  out  those  treasures- 
which  the  Gospel  of  the  Lord  discovers  to  our  faith." 

53 


[III-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

What  makes  prayer  a  pious  form  rather  than  a  -vital  transac- 
tion? 

What  gave  vitality  to  the  Psalmist's  prayer? 
What  is  the  difference  between  a  Buddhist  turning  a  prayer 
wheel  and  a  Christian  praying? 
What  merit  is  there  in  praying? 

What  is  the  estimate  of  the  value  of  the  individual  in  the 
Christian  religion  ? 

What  was  Jesus'  view  as  set  forth  in  the  Daily  Readings? 

What  place  has  the  individual  had  in  the  history  of  the 
Church? 

How  does  the  Christian  religion  differ  from  other  religions 
in  its  estimate  of  the  worth  of  the  individual? 

How  far  are  Christians  justified  in  basing  their  confidence 
in  prayer  on  God's  care  for  the  individual? 

Is  the  possibility  of  prayer  dependent  upon  God's  care  for 
the  individual? 

To  what  extent  is  prayer  futile  if  God  does  not  care  for  us? 

What  are  your  chief  difficulties  in  a  belief  that  God  cares 
for  each  individual?  To  what  extent  do  you  feel  these  diffi- 
culties make  prayer  impossible? 

How  far  is  it  reasonable  to  think  that  God  cares  for  us? 

What  difference  will  it  make  in  my  prayers  if  I  really  believe 
God  cares  for  me  as  an  individual? 


CHAPTER  IV 

Prayer  and  the  Goodness  of  God 

DAILY  READINGS 

First  Day,  Fourth  Week 

And  there  came  near  unto  him  James  and  John,  the 
sons  of  Zebedee,  saying  unto  him,  Teacher,  we  would  that 
thou  shouldest  do  for  us  whatsoever  we  shall  ask  of  thee. 
And  he  said  unto  them,  What  would  ye  that  I  should  do 
for  you?  And  they  said  unto  him,  Grant  unto  us  that  we 
may  sit,  one  on  thy  right  hand,  and  one  on  thy  left 
hand,  in  thy  glory.  But  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Ye  know 
not  what  ye  ask.  Are  ye  able  to  drink  the  cup  that  I 
drink?  or  to  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  that  I  am 
baptized  with? — Mark  10:35-38. 

Of  all  misconceptions  of  prayer,  none  is  more  common 
than  the  idea  that  it  is  a  way  of  getting  God  to  do  our  will. 
Note  the  request  which  James  and  John  made  of  our  Lord: 
they  wanted  him  to  put  himself  at  their  disposal;  they 
wished  their  will  for  themselves  to  be  in  absolute  control, 
with  the  Master  as  aider  and  abettor  of  it.  Prayer  to  God, 
so  conceived,  is  simply  self-will,  expecting  the  Almighty  to 
back  it  up  and  give  it  right-of-way.  Consider  how  often 
our  praying  is  thus  our  demand  on  God  that  he  shall  do 
exactly  what  we  want ;  and  then  in  contrast,  note  this  real 
prayer  of  D.  L.  Moody : 

Use  me  then,  my  Saviour,  for  whatever  purpose,  and  in 
whatever  way,  Thou  mayest  require.  Here  is  my  poor  heart, 
an  empty  vessel;  fill  it  with  Thy  grace.  Here  is  my  sinful 
and  troubled  soul;  quicken  it  and  refresh  it  with  Thy  love. 
Take  my  heart  for  Thine  abode;  my  mouth  to  spread  abroad 

55 


[IV-2]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

the  glory  of  Thy  name;  my  love  and  all  my  powers,  for  the 
advancement  of  Thy  believing  people;  and  never  suffer  the 
steadfastness  and  confidence  of  my  faith  to  abate — that  so  at 
all  times  I  may  be  enabled  from  the  heart  to  say,  "Jesus 
needs  me,  and  I  Him." — D.  L.  Moody. 

Second  Day,  Fourth  Week 

The  trouble  with  many  folk  is  that  they  believe  in  only  a 
part  of  God.  They  believe  in  his  love,  and  thinking  of  that 
alone  they  are  led  into  entreating  him  as  though  he  might 
be  coaxed  and  wheedled  into  giving  them  what  they  want. 
They  argue  that  because  he  is  benign  and  kindly  he  will 
give  in  to  a  child's  entreaty  and  do  what  the  child  happens 
to  desire.  They  do  not  really  believe  in  God's  wisdom — his 
knowledge  of  what  is  best  for  all  of  us,  and  in  his  'will — 
his  plan  for  the  character  and  the  career  of  each  of  us. 
When  anyone  believes  in  the  whole  of  God,  is  sure  that  he 
has  a  wise  and  a  good  purpose  for  every  child  of  his,  and 
for  all  the  world,  prayer  inevitably  becomes  not  the  endeavor 
to  get  God  to  do  our  will,  but  the  endeavor  to  open  our 
lives  to  God  so  that  God  can  do  in  us  what  he  wants  to  do. 
Consider,  in  the  light  of  this  truth,  the  prayer  of  the  Master 
in  Gethsemane : 

Then  cometh  Jesus  with  them  unto  a  place  called 
Gethsemane,  and  saith  unto  his  disciples,  Sit  ye  here, 
while  I  go  yonder  and  pray.  And  he  took  with  him 
Peter  and  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee,  and  began  to  be 
sorrowful  and  sore  troubled.  Then  saith  he  unto  them, 
My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death:  abide 
ye  here,  and  watch  with  me.  And  he  went  forward  a 
little,  and  fell  on  his  face,  and  prayed,  saying,  My  Father, 
if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  away  from  me:  never- 
theless, not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt.  And  he  cometh 
unto  the  disciples,  and  findeth  them  sleeping,  and  saith 
unto  Peter,  What,  could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  hour? 
Watch  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation:  the 
spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak.  Again  a 
second  time  he  went  away,  and  prayed,  saying,  My 
Father,  if  this  cannot  pass  away,  except  I  drink  it,  thy 
will  be  done.  And  he  came  again  and  found  them  sleep- 
ing, for  their  eyes  were  heavy.  And  he  left  them  again, 

56 


PRAYER  AND  THE  GOODNESS  OF  GOD  [IV-3J 

and  went  away,  and  prayed  a  third  time,  saying  again  the 
same  words. — Matt.  26:36-44. 

O  Lord,  Thou  knowest  what  is  best  for  us,  let  this  or  that 
be  done,  as  Thou  shalt  please.  Give  what  Thou  wilt,  and 
how  much  Thou  wilt,  and  when  Thou  wilt.  Deal  with  me 
as  Thou  thinkest  good,  and  as  best  pleaseth  Thee.  Set  me 
where  Thou  wilt,  and  deal  with  me  in  all  things  just  as 
Thou  wilt.  Behold,  I  am  Thy  servant,  prepared  for  all 
things;  for  I  desire  not  to  live  unto  myself,  but  unto  Thee; 
and  Oh,  that  I  could  do  it  worthily  and  perfectly!  Amen. 
— Thomas  a  Kempis  (1379-1471). 

Third  Day,  Fourth  Week 

Let  us  this  week  consider  particularly  the  ways  in  which 
the  practice  of  prayer  opens  our  lives  to  God  so  that  his 
will  can  be  done  in  and  through  us.  For  one  thing,  prayer, 
as  we  now  are  thinking  of  it,  involves  solitude,  where  the 
voice  of  God  has  a  chance  to  be  heard. 

And  when  ye  pray,  ye  shall  not  be  as  the  hypocrites: 
for  they  love  to  stand  and  pray  in  the  synagogues  and 
in  the  corners  of  the  streets,  that  they  may  be  seen  of 
men.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  They  have  received  their 
reward.  But  thou,  when  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thine 
inner  chamber,  and  having  shut  thy  door,  pray  to  thy 
Father  who  is  in  secret,  and  thy  Father  who  seeth  in 
secret  shall  recompense  thee. — Matt.  6:5,  6. 

Consider  the  testimony  of  different  sorts  of  men  to  the 
value  of  occasional  solitude  in  the  midst  of  a  busy  life. 
Says  Walter  Savage  Landor,  the  poet,  "Solitude  is  the 
ante-chamber  of  God;  only  one  step  more,  and  you  can  be 
in  his  immediate  presence."  Goethe  says,  "No  one  can 
produce  anything  important  unless  he  isolates  himself." 
"Chinese"  Gordon  writes  to  his  sister,  "Getting  quiet  does 
one  good — it  is  impossible  to  hear  God's  voice  in  a  whirl 
of  visits — you  must  be  more  or  less  in  the  'desert'  to  use 
the  scales  of  the  sanctuary,  to  see  and  weigh  the  true  value 
of  things  and  sayings."  And  an  anonymous  epigram  hits 
off  the  important  truth,  "He  is  a  wonderful  man  who  can 
thread  a  needle  while  at  cudgels  in  a  crowd."  How  much 

57 


I IV -4]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

time,  away  from  the  distractions  of  business,  and  the  strife 
of  tongues,  are  we  giving  to  the  enriching  use  of  solitude? 

O  God,  by  whom  the  meek  are  guided  in  judgment,  and  light 
riseth  up  in  darkness  for  the  godly;  grant  us,  in  all  our 
doubts  and  uncertainties,  the  grace  to  ask  what  Thou  wouldest 
have  us  to  do;  that  the  spirit  of  Wisdom  may  save  us  from 
all  false  choices,  and  that  in  Thy  light  we  may  see  light,  and 
in  Thy  straight  path  may  not  stumble,  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.  Amen. — William  Bright. 


Fourth  Day,  Fourth  Week 

Prayer  opens  our  lives  to  the  guidance  of  God  because 
by  its  very  nature  it  encourages  the  receptive  mood.  The 
dominant  mood  today  is  active;  but  some  things  never  come 
into  life  until  a  man  is  receptive.  That  a  boy  should  run 
many  errands  for  his  father  and  should  be  faithful  and 
energetic  in  doing  it  is  of  great  importance;  but  the  most 
far-reaching  consequences  in  that  boy's  life  are  likely  to 
come  from  some  quiet  hour,  when  he  sits  with  his  father, 
and  has  his  eyes  opened  to  a  new  idea  of  life,  which  the 
father  never  could  give  him  in  his  more  active  moods.  God's 
trouble  to  get  people  to  listen  is  set  forth  in  the  eighty-first 
Psalm : 

Hear,  O  my  people,  and  I  will  testify  unto  thee: 

But  my  people  hearkened  not  to  my  voice; 

And  Israel  would  none  of  me. 

So  I  let  them  go  after  the  stubbornness  of  their  heart, 

That  they  might  walk  in  their  own  counsels. 

Oh  that  my  people  would  hearken  unto  me. 

Psalm  81:8,    11-13. 

Lord,  I  know  not  what  I  ought  to  ask  of  Thee;  Thou 
only  knowest  what  I  need;  Thou  lovest  me  better  than  I 
know  how  to  love  myself.  O  Father!  give  to  Thy  child  that 
which  he  himself  knows  not  how  to  ask.  I  dare  not  ask 
either  for  crosses  or  consolations:  I  simply  present  myself 
before  Thee,  I  open  my  heart  to  Thee.  Behold  my  needs 
which  I  know  not  myself;  see  and  do  according  to  Thy 
tender  mercy.  Smite,  or  heal;  depress  me,  or  raise  me  up: 

58 


PRAYER  AND  THE  GOODNESS  OF  GOD  [IV-s] 

I  adore  all  Thy  purposes  without  knowing  them;  I  am  silent; 
I  offer  myself  in  sacrifice:  I  yield  myself  to  Thee;  I  would 
have  no  other  desire  than  to  accomplish  Thy  will.  Teach 
me  to  pray.  Pray  Thyself  in  me.  Amen. — Francois  de  la 
Mothe  Fenelon  (1651-1715). 

Fifth  Day,  Fourth  Week 

Jesus  therefore  answered  them,  and  said,  My  teaching 
is  not  mine,  but  his  that  sent  me.  If  any  man  willeth  to 
do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  teaching,  whether  it  is 
of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  from  myself.  He  that  speak- 
eth  from  himself  seeketh  his  own  glory:  but  he  that 
seeketh  the  glory  of  him  that  sent  me,  the  same  is  true, 
and  no  unrighteousness  is  in  him. — John  7: 16-18. 

Prayer  opens  our  lives  to  God  so  that  his  will  can  be 
done  in  and  through  us,  because  in  true  prayer  we  habitually 
put  ourselves  into  the  attitude  of  willingness  to  do  whatever 
God  wills.  If  a  young  man  says,  "I  am  willing  to  be  a 
lawyer,  but  not  a  business  man ;  I  am  willing  to  be  a  physi- 
cian, but  not  a  medical  missionary,"  he  will  never  discover 
what  God  really  wants  him  to  be.  He  must  hand  God  a 
carte  blanche  to  be  filled  in  as  God  wills,  and  there  must 
be  no  provisos  and  reservations  to  limit  the  guidance  of 
God.  If  a  man  of  whose  wisdom  and  motives  we  are 
suspicious  asks  us  to  do  what  he  is  about  to  demand,  we 
may  well  say,  "Tell  me  what  you  expect  and  I  will  tell 
you  whether  or  not  I  will  do  it."  But  we  may  not  take  that 
attitude  toward  God;  we  may  not  distrust  his  wisdom,  or 
his  love,  or  his  power  to  see  us  through  what  he  demands. 
We  must  be  willing  to  do  whatever  he  wills.  True  prayer 
is  deliberately  putting  ourselves  at  God's  disposal. 

O  Lord,  let  me  not  henceforth  desire  health  or  life,  except 
to  spend  them  for  Thee,  with  Thee,  and  in  Thee.  Thou 
alone  knowest  what  is  good  for  me;  do,  therefore,  ivhat 
seemeth  Thee  best.  Give  to  me,  or  take  from  me;  conform 
my  will  to  Thine;  and  grant  that,  with  humble  and  perfect 
submission,  and  in  holy  confidence,  I  may  'receive  the  orders 
of  Thine  eternal  Providence;  and  may  equally  adore  all 
that  comes  to  me  from  Thee;  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.  Amen. — Blaise  Pascal  (1623-1662). 

59 


[IV-6]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

Sixth  Day,  Fourth  Week 

And  Jehovah  spake  unto  Moses  face  to  face,  as  a  man 
speaketh  unto  his  friend. — Exodus  33:  u. 

And  the  scripture  was  fulfilled  which  saith,  And  Abra- 
ham believed  God,  and  it  was  reckoned  unto  him  for 
righteousness;  and  he  was  called  the  friend  of  God. — 
James  2 : 23. 

The  most  transforming  influences  in  life  are  personal 
friendships.  Everyone  who  meets  us  influences  us,  but  friend- 
ship opens  the  heart  to  the  ideas,  ideals,  and  spiritual  quality 
of  another  life,  until  we  are  susceptible  to  everything  that 
the  friend  is  and  sensitive  to  everything  that  he  thinks. 
Desdemona  describes  the  natural  effect  of  close  friendship: 

"My    heart's    subdued 
Even  to  the  very  quality  of  my  lord." 

Consider  then  what  persistent  fellowship  with  God  will 
mean  in  changing  life's  quality  and  tone.  Henry  Drummond 
said,  "Ten  minutes  spent  in  Christ's  society  every  day;  aye. 
two  minutes,  if  it  be  face  to  face  and  heart  to  heart,  will 
make  the  whole  life  different."  In  how  many  people  is 
the  fine  quality  which  all  feel  and  none  can  describe,  the 
result  of  this  inner  fellowship !  Some  things  cannot  be 
bought  or  earned  or  achieved;  they  must  be  caught,  they  are 
transmitted  by  contact  as  fragrance  is.  Perhaps  the  gieatest 
consequence  of  prayer  is  just  this  atmosphere  which  the  life 
carries  away  with  it,  as  Moses  came  with  shining  face  from 
the  communion  of  his  heart  with  God.  True  prayer  is 
habitually  putting  oneself  under  God's  influence. 

We  rejoice  that  in  all  time  men  have  found  a  refuge  in 
Thee,  and  that  prayer  is  the  voice  of  love,  the  voice  of  plead- 
ing, and  the  voice  of  thanksgiving.  Our  souls  overflow 
toward  Thee  like  a  cup  when  full;  nor  can  we  forbear;  nor 
shall  we  search  to  see  if  our  prayers  have  been  registered, 
or  whether  of  the  things  asked  we  have  received  much,  or 
more,  or  anything.  That  we  have  had  permission  to  feel 
ourselves  in  Thy  presence,  to  take  upon  ourselves  something 
of  the  light  of  Thy  countenance,  to  have  a  consciousness  that 
Thy  thoughts  are  tipon  us,  to  experience  the  inspiration  of  the 

60 


PRAYER  AND  THE  GOODNESS  OF  GOD  [IV-7J 

Holy  Spirit  in  any  measure — this  is  an  answer  to  prayer 
transcending  all  things  that  we  can  think  of.  We  are  glad 
that  we  can  glorify  Thee,  that  we  can  rejoice  Thee,  that  it 
does  make  a  difference  to  Thee  what  we  do,  and  that  Thou 
dost  enfold  us  in  a  consciousness  of  Thy  sympathy  with  us, 
of  how  much  Thou  art  to  us,  and  of  what  we  are  to  Thee. 
— Henry  Ward  Beecher. 

Seventh  Day,  Fourth  Week 

Yet  thou  hast  not  called  upon  me,  O  Jacob;  but  thou 
hast  been  weary  of  me,  O  Israel. — Isaiah  43:22. 

And  there  is  none  that  calleth  upon  thy  name,  that 
stirreth  up  himself  to  take  hold  of  thee;  for  thou  hast 
hid  thy  face  from  us,  and  hast  consumed  us  by  means  of 
our  iniquities. — Isaiah  64:  7. 

Consider  the  reasonableness  of  the  prophet's  vehement 
condemnation  of  prayerlessness,  in  view  of  this  week's  truth. 
Take  out  of  life  solitude  where  God's  voice  can  be  heard, 
the  receptive  mood  that  welcomes  guidance,  the  willingness 
to  do  whatever  God  wills  that  puts  itself  habitually  at  God's 
disposal,  and  the  fellowship  that  gives  God's  secret  influence 
its  opportunity;  and  what  can  God  do  with  any  life?  Two 
very  young  girls  were  discussing  prayer.  Said  one :  "I  am 
not  going  to  pray  again  for  two  weeks."  After  an  interval 
of  shocked  silence,  the  other  exclaimed :  "Poor  God !" 
Does  not  this  exclamation  reveal  a  true  philosophy  of  prayer? 
Think  of  the  things  God  wants  to  give  to  and  do  through 
our  lives,  and  consider  how  the  prayerless,  unreceptive  heart 
blockades  his  will. 

Almighty  God,  and  most  merciful  Father,  give  us,  we 
beseech  Thee,  that  grace  that  we  may  duly  examine  the  in- 
most of  our  hearts,  and  our  most  secret  thoughts,  how  we 
stand  before  Thee;  and  that  we  may  henceforward  never 
be  drawn  to  do  anything  that  may  dishonor  Thy  name: 
but  may  persevere  in  all  good  purposes,  and  in  Thy  Holy 
service,  unto  our  life's  end;  and  grant  that  we  may  now 
this  present  day,  seeing  it  is  as  good  as  nothing  that  we  have 
done  hitherto,  perfectly  begin  to  walk  before  Thee,  as  be- 
cometh  those  that  are  called  to  an  inheritance  of  light  in 
Christ.  Amen. — George  Hickes  (16^2-1715). 

61 


[IV-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 
I 

Strangely  enough,  when  we  have  convinced  ourselves  of  the 
individual  love  and  care  of  God,  we  do  not  so  much  evade 
difficulty  as  encounter  it ;  for  we  find  ourselves  running 
straight  into  the  arms  of  one  of  the  commonest  perplexities 
concerning  prayer.  God  is  all  wise  and  all  good ;  why  should 
we  urge  on  him  our  erring  and  ignorant  desires?  He  knows 
what  we  need;  why  tell  him?  His  love  purposes  the  best  for 
us ;  why  beseech  him  ?  Why  should  we,  weak  and  fallible 
mortals,  urge  the  good  God  to  work  good  in  the  world?  Is 
not  Rousseau  speaking  sound  sense  when  he  says :  "I  bless 
God,  but  I  pray  not.  Why  should  I  ask  of  him  that  he  would 
change  for  me  the  course  of  things? — I  who  ought  to  love, 
above  all,  the  order  established  by  his  wisdom  and  main- 
tained by  his  Providence,  shall  I  wi^h  that  order  to  be  dis- 
solved on  my  account?" 

This  objection  to  prayer  is  the  stronger  because  reverence 
and  humility  before  God  seem  to  be  involved  in  it.  "We  will 
take  whatever  God  sends,"  says  the  objector,  "we  will  pray 
for  nothing.  We  trust  him  perfectly.  Can  we  in  our  igno- 
rance suggest  to  him  any  excellent  thing  of  which  he  has 
not  thought  or  which  he  has  forgotten,  or  can  we  in  our 
weakness  cajole  him  to  do  something  which  he  has  purposed 
otherwise?  Rather  'Let  him  do  what  seemeth  him  good!'" 
This  sort  of  speech  has  the  ring  of  sincere  faith.  It  comes 
from  a  strong  and  glad  belief  in  the  providence  of  God.  The 
man  shrinks  from  prayer  because  it  seems  silly  and  pre- 
sumptuous for  ignorance  to  instruct  perfect  wisdom,  for 
human  evil  to  attempt  the  persuasion  of  perfect  love  to  do 
good. 

It  is  interesting,  then,  to  discover  that  the  Master's  life  of 
urgent  prayer  was  founded  on  these  very  ideas  which  now 
are  used  as  arguments  against  prayer.  No  one,  before  or 
since,  has  believed  quite  so  strongly  as  he  did  in  the  wisdom 
and  love  of  God.  Did  they  seem  to  him,  then,  reasons  for 
abandoning  prayer?  On  the  contrary,  the  love  and  wisdom  of 
God  were  the  foundations  of  his  prayer.  In  God's  goodness 
he  saw  a  solid  reason  for  praying:  "If  ye  then,  being  evil, 
know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children,  how  much 
more  shall  your  Father  .  .  .  give  good  things  to  them  that 

62 


PRAYER  AND  THE  GOODNESS  OF  GOD  [IV-cI 

ask  him?"  (Matt.  7:  n).  In  God's  wisdom  he  found  assuring 
confidence,  when  he  prayed.  "Your  Father  knoweth  what 
things  ye  have  need  of,  before  ye  ask  him"  (Matt.  6:  8).  Just 
because  of  God's  perfect  knowledge  and  love,  the  Master 
seems  to  say,  pray  with  confidence.  Do  not  think  that  you 
can  add  to  God's  information  about  your  need  or  can  inspire 
in  him  an  increased  good-will  by  your  petition.  You  cannot. 
He  knows  your  need  in  advance  and  is  more  willing  to  give 
than  you  are  to  take.  But  one  thing  you  can  do.  You  can 
open  the  way  for  God  to  do  what  he  wants  to  do. 


cannot  change  God's  purpose,  but  prayer  can  release  it.  God 
cannot  do  for  the  man  with  the  closed  heart  what  he  can  do 
for  the  man  with  the  open  heart.  You  can  give  God  a  chance 
to  work  his  will  in  and  for  and  through  you.  IPrayer  is 
simply  giving  the  -wise  and  good  God  an  opportunity  to  do 
what  his  wisdom  and  love  want  done\  .- 

II 

This  point  of  view  is  the  distinguishing  element  in  the 
Christian  conception  of  prayer,  and  to  understand  it,  is  of  the 
utmost  importance. 

The  argument  that  because  God  is  infinitely  good  and  wise, 
Prayer  is  a  superfluity,  rests  on  two  fallacies.  The  first  is  the 
idea  that  praying  is  an  attempt  to  secure  from  God  by  begging, 
something  which  God  had  not  at  all  intended,  or  had  intended 
otherwise.  But  Christian  prayer  is  never  that.  The  African 
savage  beats  his  fetish  when  a  petition  is  unanswered.  He 
endeavors  to  make  his  god  his  slave.  His  one  idea  is  to  get 
what  he  wants.  Christian  prayer  is  giving  God  an  opportunity 
to  do  what  he  wants,  what  he  has  been  trying  in  vain,  perhaps 
for  years,  to  do  in  our  lives,  hindered  by  our  unreadiness,  our 
tack  of  receptivity,  our  closed  hearts  and  unresponsive  minds. 
(pod  stands  over  many  lives,  like  the  Master  over  Jerusalem, 
saying,  "How  oft  would  I  ...  and  ye  would  not"\(Matt. 
23:37).  Tjue  prater  changes  that.  It  opens  the  dobr  to  the 
will  of  God.  It  does  not  change  God's  plan,  but  it  does  give 
God's  plan  '  gang-way.  It  is  not  begging^  from  God  ;  U  is. 
cooperation  with  ()<>d.  In  the  luminous  wonfs  of  Archbishop 
Trench:  "ll'c  must  nut  fonccirc  of  prayer  as  an  orercomi>i<i 
of  God's  reluctance,  but  as  a  laying  hold  of  his  highest  will- 
ingness." 

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[IV-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

The  other  fallacy  underlying  the  thought  that  the  wisdom 
and  love  of  God  make  praying  superfluous  is  the  idea  that 
God  can  do  all  he  wills  without  any  help  from  us.  But  he 
cannot.  [The  experience  of  the  race  is  clear  that  some  things 
God  never  can  do  until  he  finds  a  man  who  prays.j  Indeed, 
Meister  Eckhart,  the  mystic,  puts  the  truth  wim  extreme 
boldness :  "God  can  as  little  do  without  us,  as  we  without 
him."  If  at  first  this  seems  a  wild  statement,  we  may  well 
consider  in  how  many  ways  God's  will  depends  on  man's 
cooperation.  G.pd  himself  cannot  do  some  things  unless  men 
*Jhju&+  He  never  blazons  his  truth  on  the  Sky  that  men  may" 
find  ir  without  seeking.  Only  when  men  gird  the  loins  of 
their  minds  and  undiscourageably  give  themselves  to  intellec- 
tual toil,  will  God  reveal  to  them  the  truth,  even  about  the 
physical  world.  And  God  himself  cannot  do  some  things 
unless  men  work. .'Will  a  man  say  that  when  God  wanTs 
bridges  and  tunnels,  wants  the  lightnings  harnessed  and  cathe- 
drals built,  he  will  do  the  work  himself?  That  is  an  absurd 
and  idle  fatalism.  God  stores  the  hills  with  marble,  but  he 
never  built  a  Parthenon ;  he  fills  the  mountains  with  ore,  but 
he  never  made  a  needle  or  a  locomotive.  Only  when  men 
work  can  some  things  be  done.  Recall  the  words  of  Stradi- 
varius,  maker  of  violins,  as  George  Eliot  interprets  him : 

"When  any  Master  holds  twixt  hand  and  chin 

A  violin  of  mine,  he  will  be  glad 

That  Stradivari  lived,  made  violins 

And  made  them  of  the  best.  .  .  . 

.  .  .  For  while  God  gives  them  skill, 

I  give  them  instruments  to  play  upon, 

God  using  me  to  help  him.  .  .  . 

...  If  my  hand  slacked, 

I  should  rob  God,  since  he  is  fullest  good, 

Leaving  a  blank  behind,  instead  of  violins. 
•/He  could  not  make  Antonio  Stradivari's  violins  \ 
i  ^Without  Antonio." 

*  -4 

Now  if  God  has  left  some  things  contingent  on  man's  thinking 
and  workitjg  why  may  he  not  have  left  some  things  contingent 
on  man's  praying?  The  testimony  of  the  great  souls  is  a 
clear  affirmative  to  this :  some  things  never  without  thinking ; 
some  things  never  without  working;  some  things  never  with- 

64 


PRAYER  AND  THE  GOODNESS  OF  GOD  [IV-c] 

out  praying!  Prayer  is  one  of  the  three  forms  of  man'j 
cooperation  with  God. 

The  fact,  therefore,  that  God  is  all-wise  and  all-good, 
is  no  more  reason  for  abandoning  prayer  than  for  abandoning 
thought  and  work.  At  their  best,  none  of  them  is  an  endeavor 
to  get  anything  against  the  will  of  God,  and  all  of  them  alike 
are  necessary  to  make  the  will  of  God  dominant  in  human  life. 
Who  would  dream  of  saying,  God  is  all  wise,  he  knows  best ; 
he  is  all  good  and  will  give  the  best;  why,  therefore,  should 
I  either  think  or  work?  But  that  is  just  as.  sensible  as  to 
say,  If  God  is  good,  why  should  I  pray?  V'/e  pray  for  the 
same  reason  that  -we  work  and  think,  because  only  so  can 
the  wise  and  good  God  get  some  things  done  which  he  wants 
done. 

Indeed,  there  is  a  deal  of  nonsense  talked  about  resignation 
to  God's  will  as  the  only  attitude  in  prayer.  Not  resignation 
to  God's  will,  but  cooperation  with  God's  will  is  the  truer 
expression  of  a  Christian  attitude.  We  are  not  resigned  any- 
where else.  We  find  an  arid  desert  and,  so  far  from  being 
resigned,  we  irrigate  it  until  it  blossoms  like  a  garden.  We 
find  a  thorny  cactus,  and  commission  Luther  Burbank  as 
speedily  as  possible  to  make  of  it  a  thornless  plant  for  food. 
We  find  social  evils  like  slavery,  and  from  Moses  to  Lincoln 
all  that  are  best  among  us  are  willing  to  surrender  life  rather 
than  rest  content  with  wrong.  Resignation  in  the  presence 
of  things  evil  or  imperfect  is  sin ;  aad  all  the  heroes  of  the 
race  aave  been  so  far  discontented  and  unresigned  that  Blake's 
challenge  has  been  kindred  to  their  resolution, 

"I  will  not  cease  from  mental  fight, 
Nor  shall  my  sword  sleep  in  my  hand, 
Till  we  have  built  Jerusalem 
In  England's  green  and  pleasant  land." 

This  unresigned  attitude,  inseparable  from  nobility  of  char- 
acter, is  not  rebellion  against  God  but  cooperation  with  God. 
Men  act  on  the  assumption  that  the  present  situation  may  be 
temporarily  God's  will,  but  that  he  has  put  them  in  it  so  that 
they  may  fight  their  way  out  to  a  situation  that  is  ultimately 
his  will.  To  this  end  they  think  and  work  and  pray.  Resigna- 
tion is  in  all  three  only  in  the  sense  that  by  all  three  men 


[IV-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

are  endeavoring  to  open  doors  for  the  free  passage  of  God's 
hindered  will.  They  do  not  submit  to  God's  purpose ;  they 
assert  it.  Praye^,  like  the  other  two,  wTien  it  is  at  its  best, 
never  says,  TJiy  will  be  ch^igcde  hut  it  says  tremendously. 
Thy  will  be  doncl 

III 

That  we  may  clearly  perceive  God's  inability  to  accomplish 
his  will  until  men  cooperate  in  prayer,  we  may  note,  for  one 
thing,  that  unless  men  pray  there  are  some  things  which  God 
cannot  say  to  them.  One  of  our  strongest  misconceptions 
concerning  prayer  is  that  it  consists  chiefly  in  our  talking  to 
God,  wliereas  the  best  part  of  prayer  is  our  listening  to  God. 
Sometimes  in  the  Scripture  a  prayer  of  urgent  and -definite" 
petition  rises,  "Oh  that  I  might  have  my  request;  And  that 
God  would  grant  me  the  thing  that  I  long  for !"  (Job  6:8); 
but  another  sort  of  prayer  is  very  frequently  indicated : 
"Speak;  for  thy  servant  heareth"  (I  Sam.  3:10);  "My  soul, 
wait  thou  in  silence  for  God  only ;  For  my  expectation  is 
from  him"  (Psalm  62:5);  "I  will  hear  what  God  Jehovah 
will  speak"  (Psalm  85 : 8)  ;  or  in  Luther's  version  of  Psalm 
37 : 7,  "Be  silent  to  God  and  let  him  mold  thee."  Without 
such  openheartedness  to  God,  some  things  which  he  wills 
never  can  be  done. 

Madame  de  Stael,  after  a  two  hours'  visit  in  which  she 
had  talked  continuously,  is  said  to  have  remarked  at  parting, 
"What  a  delightful  conversation  we  have  had !"  Too  many 
prayers  are  conducted  on  that  plan.  The  ironical  remark  of 
Savonarola  that  the  saints  of  his  day  were  "so  busy  talking 
to  God  that  they  could  not  hearken  to  him,"  is  applicable  to 
us  at  least  to  this  extent :  we  seldom  listen.  We  hammer 
so  busily  that  the  architect  cannot  discuss  the  plans  with  us. 
We  are  so  preoccupied  with  the  activities  of  sailing,  that 
we  do  not  take  our  bearings  from  the  sky.  When  the  Spirit 
stands  at  the  door  and  knocks  the  bustle  of  the  household 
tasks  drowns  the  sound  of  his  knocking.  God  has  a  hard 
time  even  to  get  in  a  word  edgewise ;  and  in  lives  so  con- 
ducted, there  are  some  things  which  God  himself,  with  all 
his  wisdom  and  good-will,  cannot  do.  Even  a  casual  study 
of  the  effective  servants  of  the  world  reveals  how  much  of 
their  vision  and  stimulus  came  in  quiet  and  receptive  hours. 


PRAYER  AND  THE  GOODNESS  OF  GOD  [IV-c] 

Prayer  gave  God  his  opportunity  to  speak,  for  prayer  is  the 
listening  ear. 

IV 

The  dependence  of  God's  will  upon  the  cooperation  of 
man's  prayer  may  be  further  seen  in  the  fact  that  until  men 
pray  there  are  some  things  which  God  cannot  give  to  them. 
One  of  the  most  disconcerting  verses  in  Scripture  tells  us 
that  God  is  more  willing  to  give  to  us  than  fathers  are  to 
give  to  their  children  (Matt.  7:11).  To  some  this  seems 
mere  sentiment,  an  exaggerated  statement,  made  in  a  poetic 
hour.  To  others,  who  have  cried  in  vain  for  things  that 
appeared  certainly  good,  it  seems  mockery.  If  God  is  willing 
to  give,  why  doesn't  he?  What  hinders  him?  How  can 
he  be  willing  to  give,  when,  being  omnipotent,  he  still  with- 
holds? Even  a  superficial  observation  of  human  life,  how- 
ever, could  supply  the  answer.  [Giving  is  not  a  simple  matter. 
It  is  always  a  dual  transaction  in  which  the  recipient  is  as 
important  a  factor  as  the  giver. \ 

No  suffering  on  earth  is  more  tragic  than  great  love  hin- 
dered in  its  desire  to  bestow.  If  a  father  wishes  to  give  his 
son  an  education,  why  doesn't  he?  If  he  sees  the  need, 
has  the  means,  is  willing,  even  anxious  to  bestow,  what 
hinders  him  ?  In  how  many  cases  is  the  answer  clear :  the 
boy  has  no  genuine  desire,  no  earnest  prayer  for  the  blessing 
which  the  father  would  give.  The  father  is  helpless.  He 
must  wait,  his  love  pent,  his  willingness  checkmated,  until  a 
prayer,  however  faint,  rises  in  the  boy's  heart.  ^The  finest 
gifts  cannot  be  dropped  into  another's  life  like  stones  in  a 
basket.  They  must  be  taken  or  else  they  cannot  be  given\ 
Jesus  was  thinking  of  the  two  factors  involved  when  he 
said  to  fhe  Samaritan  woman,  "If  thou  knewest  the  gift  of 
God,  .  .  .  thou  wouldest  have  asked"  (John  4: 10).  The  re- 
ceptive heart  is  the  absolute  pre-requisite  of  all  great  gifts, 
and  God  himself  cannot  bestow  his  best  on  men  unless  they 
pray. 

Whenever,  therefore,  we  pray  intent  chiefly  on  what  we 
want,  we  are  likely  to  be  disappointed.  But  when  we  pray, 
intent  chiefly  on  what  God  wants  to  give  us — perhaps  forti- 
tude to  bear  the  trouble  which  we  wish  to  evade,  or  patience 
to  wait  for  the  blessing  which  we  demand  now,  or  leadership 
down  a  road  of  service  from  which  we  are  asking  release — 

67 


[IV-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

we  need  never  be  disappointed.  Men  who  come  to  God  not 
to  dictate  but  to  receive  have  approached  prayer  from  the 
right  angle.  They  have  seen  that  prayer  is  giving  God  an 
opportunity  to  bestow  what  he  is  more  willing  to  give  than 
we  are  to  welcome.  Prayer  is  the  taking  hand.  As  a  six- 
teenth century  mystic  said,  ^"Prayer  is  not  to  ask  what  we 
wish  of  God,  but  what  God  wishes  of  us."\ 


The  dependence  of  God  on  the  cooperation  of  men's  prayer 
may  be  further  seen  in  the  fact  that  until  men  pray  there  are 
some  things  which  God  cannot  do  through  them.  Many 
today,  in  spite  of  the  busyness,  wealth,  and  efficient  organiza- 
tion of  our  Christian  work,  bemoan  the  lack  of  real  power. 
"What  is  the  matter?"  says  the  practical  man.  "Have  we 
not  taken  our  time,  money,  talents  and  given  them  in  many 
consecrated  and  unselfish  ways'  to  the  service  of  God?  Why, 
with  so  many  working  for  God,  is  not  more  done?"  The 
answer  is  written  plainly  in  history.  vThe  souls  who  have 
ushered  in  new  eras  of  spiritual  life  have  never  been  content 
with  working  for  God.  They  have  made  it  their  ideal  to  let 
God  work  through  them.\  A  scientist  has  figured  that  the 
farmer's  toil  is  five  per  cent  of  the  energy  expended  in 
producing  a  crop  of  wheat.  The  other  ninety-five  per  cent  is 
the  universe  taking  advantage  of  the  chance  which  the  farmer 
gave  it.  So  these  greater  servants  of  God  have  not  thought 
chiefly  of  what  they  could  do  for  God,  but  of  what  God 
could  do  through  them  if  they  gave  him  opportunity.  To 
be  pliable  in  the  hands  of  God  was  their  first  aim.  Never 
to  be  unresponsive  to  his  will  for  them  was  their  supreme 
concern.  They  said,  therefore,  with  Thomas  Hooker, ^'Prayer 
is  my  chief  work,  and  it  is  by  means  of  it  that  I  carry  on  the 
rest."  ) 

No' one  can  walk  through  the  pages  of  Scripture,  or  of 
Christian  biography,  with  these  greater  servants  of  the 
Kingdom  without  feeling  their  power.  They  are  God-pos- 
sessed. Their  characteristic  quality  is  found  in  Jesus  :  Not  my 
words,  my  Father's ;  not  my  deeds,  his ;  he  that  believeth  on 
me,  believeth  not  on  me  but  on  him  that  sent  me  (John 
14 :  24;  9:4;  5  : 24).  The  secret  of  their  lives  is  like  the  secret 
of  the  Nile :  they  are  the  channel  of  unseen  resources.  The 

68 


PRAYER  AND  THE  GOODNESS  OF  GOD  [IV-c] 

ideal  of  such  living  is  deeper  than  working  for  God.  To 
release  the  Eternal  Purpose  through  their  lives  into  the 
world ;  to  be  made  a  vehicle  for  power  which  they  do  not 
create  but  can  transmit — this  is  their  ideal.  They  pray  be- 
cause theirs  is  the  sublime  ambition  of  the  German  mystic, 
"/  would  fain  be  to  'the  Eternal  Goodness  what  his  own 
hand  is  to  a  man." 

Only  through  men  who  take  this  attitude  can  God  do  his 
choicest  work.  A  life  that  utterly  lacks  this  attitude,  wants 
the  elements  of  power.  When,  therefore,  a  man  prays,  intent 
chiefly  on  what  he  wishes  done,  his  prayer  is  a  failure ;  but 
when  he  prays  in  order  that  he  may  release  through  his  life 
what  God  wishes  done,  he  has  discovered  the  great  secret. 
Through  him,  habitually  praying,  God  can  do  what  else 
would  be  impossible.  He  is  one  of  God's  open  doors  into 
the  world. 

VI 

We  have,  then,  two  fundamentally  opposed  ideas  of  pravej: : 
one,  that  by  begging  we  may  change  the  will  "f  God  an^ 
oirry  favor  or  win  gifts  by  coaxing;  the^othej:,  that^prayer. 
isT  offering  God  the  opportunity  to  say  to  us,  give  to  »g  ^nd 
do  through  us  what  he  wills!  Qnly  the  second  is  Christian. 
At  once  we  see  that  the  second,  no  less  than  the  first,  and  in 
a  way  far  truer,  makes  prayer  not  a  form  but  a  force.  Prayer 
really  does  things.  It  cannot  change  God's  intention,  but  it 
does  change  God's  action.  God  had  long  intended  Isaiah  to 
be  his  prophet.  When  Isaiah  said,  "Here  am  I,  send  me,"  he 
did  not  alter  in  the  least  the  divine  purpose,  but  he  did 
release  it.  God  could  do  then  what  before  he  could  not.  God 
had  long  intended  that  Africa  should  be  evangelized.  When 
Livingstone  cried,  "O  God,  help  me  to  paint  this  dark  conti- 
nent white,"  he  did  not  alter  God's  intention,  but  he  did  alter 
God's  action.  Power  broke  loose  that  before  had  been  pent ; 
the  cooperation  of  a  man's  prayer,  backed  by  his  life,  opened 
a  way  for  the  divine  purpose.  There  was  an  invasion  of  the 
world  by  God  through  Livingstone.  No  one  can  set  clear 
limits  to  this  release  of  divine  power  which  the  effectual 
prayer  of  a  righteous  man  can  accomplish.  Pentecost  is 
typical:  "When  they  had  prayed,  the  place  was  shaken 
wherein  they  were  gathered  together;  and  they  were  all  filled 

69 


[IV-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  they  spake  the  word  of  God  with 
boldness"  (Acts  4:  31). 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

//  God  is  all-wise  and  all-good,  what  is  the  use  of  praying? 

Can  prayer  change  God's  plans?  If  not,  what  is  the  use  of 
praying  ? 

How  far  are  God's  plans  dependent  upon  individuals  ? 

Can  God's  purpose  be  stopped  by  the  failure  of  an  indi- 
vidual to  cooperate? 

If  God  is  in  any  way  dependent  upon  the  cooperation  of 
individuals,  is  this  inconsistent  with  his  sovereign  power  and 
wisdom? 

What  light  do  the  experiences  recorded  in  the  Bible  throw 
upon  the  problem  of  prayer  and  the  goodness  of  God? 

In  what  respect  did  the  request  of  James  and  John  differ 
from  true  prayer? 

Why  did  his  belief  in  the  goodness  of  God  give  Jesus 
confidence  to  pray? 

What  is  the  difference  in  emphasis  between  the  prayer  re- 
corded in  the  eighty-first  Psalm  and  Jesus'  comment  on  the 
prayer  of  the  hypocrites  on  the  street  corners? 

In  his  Gethsemane  prayer,  what  was  Jesus'  attitude  to  the 
will  of  God? 

What  place  has  prayer  in  the  life  of  every  man  in  finding  and 
doing  God's  will? 


CHAPTER  V 

Hindrances  and  Difficulties 

DAILY  READINGS 

First  Day,  Fifth  Week 

Howbeit  what  things  were  gain  to  me,  these  have  I 
counted  loss  for  Christ.  Yea  verily,  and  I  count  all 
things  to  be  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  my  Lord:  for  whom  I  suffered  the  loss  of 
all  things,  and  do  count  them  but  refuse,  that  I  may 
gain  Christ,  and  be  found  in  him. — Phil.  3 :  7-9. 

We  have  been  speaking  of  the  privilege  of  prayer,  the 
supreme  opportunity  of  friendship  with  God  kept  vital  by 
deliberate  communion,  and  we  may  well  stop  now  to  count 
the  cost.  Paul  is  typical  of  all  Christian  seers  in  -discovering 
that  the  "excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus"  is 
not  arrived  at  without  counting  some  things  loss.  It  does 
cost  to  win  a  life  that  really  can  pray.  Vasari  says  that 
Raphael  used  to  wear  a  candle  in  a  paste  board  cap,  so  that, 
while  he  was  painting,  his  shadow  would  not  fall  upon  his 
work.  Many  a  man's  prayers  are  spoiled  by  his  own  shadow. 
There  are  things  in  his  life  which  must  be  given  up  if  ever 
he  is  truly  to  pray.  He  must  wear  on  his  forehead  the 
candle  of  renunciation  for  his  work's  sake.  Consider  the 
evil  attitudes,  cherished  sins,  bad  tempers  in  your  life  that 
make  praying  in  any  deep  and  earnest  way  a  difficult  under- 
taking. 

O  Lord,  come  quickly  and  reign  on  Thy  throne,  for  now 
oft-times  something  rises  up  within  me,  and  tries  to  take 
possession  of  Thy  throne;  pride,  covetousness,  uncleanncss, 
and  sloth  u'ant  to  be  my  kings;  and  then  evil-speaking,  anger, 

71 


[V-2]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

hatred,  and  the  whole  train  of  vices  join  with  me  in  -warring 
against  myself,  and  try  to  reign  over  me.  I  resist  them,  I 
cry  out  against  them,  and  say,  "I  have  no  other  king  than 
Christ."  O  King  of  Peace,  come  and  reign  in  me,  for  I  will 
have  no  king  but  Thee!  Amen. — St.  Bernard  (1091-1153). 

Second  Day,  Fifth  Week 

In  nothing  be  anxious;  but  in  everything  by  prayer 
and  supplication  with  thanksgiving  let  your  requests  be 
made  known  unto  God.  And  the  peace  of  God,  which 
passeth  all  understanding,  shall  guard  your  hearts  and 
your  thoughts  in  Christ  Jesus.  Finally,  brethren,  what- 
soever things  are  true,  whatsoever  things  are  honorable, 
whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure, 
whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of 
good  report;  if  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any 
praise,  think  on  these  things. — Phil.  4 :  6-8. 

This  connection  of  verses  on  great  praying  and  right 
thinking  is  not  accidental.  A  man  cannot  habitually  indulge 
in  mean,  perverse,  or  abominable  thoughts  and  suddenly 
come  out  of  them  into  unimpeded  communion  with  God. 
An  automobile  can  be  shifted  from  "low"  to  "high"  with  a 
stroke  of  the  hand,  but  not  so  a  man's  mind.  Real  praying 
costs  habitual  self-discipline  in  thinking — the  pure  in  heart 
see  God.  Sherwood  Eddy  says  that  the  great  Madras  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  building  was  held  up  for  months, 
after  the  site  was  chosen,  the  plans  drawn,  and  the  money 
provided,  because  two  shanty-owners  would  not  let  go  their 
hold  on  a  little  ground  in  the  center  of  the  plot.  What  is 
the  name  of  that  shanty  in  your  mind  which  is  holding  up 
the  great  building  of  character  and  service  for  which  God 
has  the  plans  and  the  means  ready? 

Most  Merciful  Father,  who  orderest  the  wills  and  affec- 
tions of  men;  inspire  in  the  heart  of  this  Thy  servant  holy 
wishes  and  aspirations,  that  all  base  imaginings  and  sinful 
broodings  may  be  cast  out.  Spirit  of  purity  and  grace,  cleanse 
the  thoughts  of  his  heart  and  bring  his  whole  being  into 
captivity  to  the  law  of  Christ.  So  direct  and  control  his 
mind  that  he  may  ever  think  on  whatsoever  things  are  true 
ind  pure  and  lovely.  Let  no  corrupt  thought  get  dominion 

72 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [¥-3] 

over  him.  Enter  Thou  into  the  house  of  his  soul.  Enlarge 
and  renew  it  and  consecrate  it  to  Thyself,  that  he  may  love 
Thee  -with  all  his  mind  and  serve  Thee  with  all  his  might. 
Free  him  from  the  fascinations  of  false  pleasures  and  the 
allurements  of  debasing  desires.  Fill  his  eyes  with  the  eternal 
beauty  of  goodness,  that  vice  and  sin  may  appear  as  they 
really  arc,  the  last  shame  and  despair  of  life.  Keep  him 
outwardly  in  his  body  and  inwardly  in  his  soul,  and  con- 
strain him  to  reverential  obedience  to  the  laws  Thou  hast 
ordained  for  both.  Sustain  him  in  health  of  body  that  he 
may  the  better  control  the  motions  of  thought,  and  repel  the 
assaults  of  passion.  IV e  ask  it  for  Thy  Son  our  Saviour's 
sake.  Amen. — Samuel  McComb. 

Third  Day,  Fifth  Week 

Be  not  rash  with  thy  mouth,  and  let  not  thy  heart  be 
hasty  to  utter  anything  before  God;  for  God  is  in  heaven, 
and  thou  upon  earth:  therefore  let  thy  words  be  few. 
— Eccl.  5:2. 

Successful  prayer  involves  not  only  the  general  prepara- 
tion of  good  living  and  right  thinking;  it  often  costs  special 
preparation.  The  mood  may  not  be  right;  an  irritated  or 
anxious  temper  may  be  in  the  way;  the  preoccupation  of 
business  may  still  be  straining  our  minds  so  that  if  we  pray, 
only  a  small  fraction  of  us  is  engaged  in  it — a  dozen  different 
exigencies  may  make  special  preparation  an  absolute  neces- 
sity for  real  prayer.  Consider  with  what  rash  hastiness, 
unprepared  thoughts,  preoccupied  minds,  and  unexamined 
lives  we  often  rush  into  God's  presence  and  out  again.  Dr. 
South  puts  the  matter  with  brusque  directness,  "None  but  the 
careless  and  the  confident  would  rush  rudely  into  the  presence 
of  a  great  man ;  and  shall  we  in  our  applications  to  the  great 
God,  take  that  to  be  religion  which  the  common  reason  of 
mankind  will  not  allow  to  be  manners?" 

Slay  utterly,  Oh  Lord,  and  cast  down  the  sin  which  does 
so  easily  beset  us;  bridle  the  unholy  affection;  stay  the  un- 
lawful thought;  chasten  the  temper;  regulate  the  spirit; 
correct  the  tongue;  bend  the  will  and  the  worship  of  our 
souls  to  Thee,  and  so  sanctify  and  subdue  the  whole  inward 

7?. 


[V-4]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

man,  that  setting  up  Thy  throne  in  our  hearts,  to  the  de- 
thronement of  all  our  idols,  and  the  things  of  earth  we  hold 
too  dear,  Thou  maycst  reign  there  alone  in  the  fulness  of 
Thy  grace,  and  the  consolations  of  Thy  presence,  till  the 
time  arrives  when  we  shall  reign  with  Thee  in  glory.  Amen. 
— Richard  S.  Brooke  (1835-1893). 

Fourth  Day,  Fifth  Week 

0  Jehovah,  the  God  of  my  salvation, 

1  have  cried  day  and  night  before  thee. 
Let  my  prayer  enter  into  thy  presence; 
Incline  thine  ear  unto  my  cry. 

For  my  soul  is  full  of  troubles  .  .  . 

Unto  thee,  O  Jehovah,  have  I  cried; 

And  in  the  morning  shall  my  prayer  come  before  thee. 

Jehovah,  why  castest  thou  off  my  soul? 

Why  hidest  thou  thy  face  from  me? 

— Psalm  88:  1-3,  13,  14. 

Such  an  experience  as  finds  voice  in  this  Psalm  suggests 
at  once  that  at  times  prayer  costs  persistence  in  the  face  of 
difficulties.  The  unreality  of  God,  the  difficulty  of  holding 
the  mind  to  the  act  of  prayer,  the  wayward  mood,  the  dis- 
appointment of  the  spirit  at  praying  which  rings  hollow  and 
gives  no  result — all  these  difficulties  men  of  prayer  have 
known.  Read  the  diary  of  Benjamin  Jowett,  the  great  Master 
of  Balliol,  "Nothing  makes  one  more  conscious  of  poverty 
and  shallowness  of  character  than  difficulty  in  praying  or 
attending  to  prayer.  Any  thoughts  about  self,  thoughts  of 
evil,  day  dreams,  love  fancies,  easily  find  an  abode  in  the 
mind.  But  the  thought  of  God  and  of  right  and  truth  will 
not  stay  there,  except  with  a  very  few  persons.  I  fail  to 
undersand  my  own  nature  in  this  particular.  There  is 
nothing  which  at  a  distance  I  seem  to  desire  more  than  the 
knowledge  of  God,  the  ideal,  the  universal;  and  yet  for  two 
minutes  I  cannot  keep  my  mind  upon  them.  But  I  read  a 
great  work  of  fiction,  and  can  hardly  take  my  mind  from  it. 
If  I  had  any  real  love  of  God,  would  not  my  mind  dwell 
upon  him?" 

Gracious  Father,  who  givest  the  hunger  of  desire,  and 
satisfiest  our  hunger  with  good  things;  quicken  the  heart  of 

74 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [V-s]' 

Thy  servant  who  mourns  because  he  cannot  speak  to  Thee,, 
nor  hear  Thee  speak  to  him.  Refresh,  we  beseech  Thee, 
the  dulness  and  dryness  of  his  inner  life.  Grant  him  perse- 
verance that  he  may  never  abandon  the  effort  to  pray,  even 
though  it  brings  for  a  time  no  comfort  or  joy.  Enlarge 
his  soul's  desires  that  he  may  be  drawn  unto  Thee.  Send 
forth  Thy  Spirit  into  his  heart  to  help  his  infirmities;  to 
give  him  freedom  of  utterance,  and  warmth  of  feeling.  Let 
him  muse  upon  Thy  goodness;  upon  the  blessings  with  which 
Thou  hast  strewn  his  path;  upon  the  mystery  of  the  world, 
and  the  shame  of  sin,  and  the  sadness  of  death, — until  the 
fire  kindles  and  the  heart  melts  in  prayer  and  praise  and 
supplication. 

Lord,  teach  him  to  pray  the  prayer  that  relieves  the 
burdened  spirit,  and  brings  Thy  blessing,  which  maketh 
rich  and  addeth  no  sorrow.  Hear  us,  for  Jesus'  sake.  Amen. 
— Samuel  McComb. 


Fifth  Day,  Fifth  Week 

Give  ear  to  my  words,  O  Jehovah, 
Consider  my  meditation. 

Hearken  unto  the  voice  of  my  cry,  my  King,  and  my  God; 
For  unto  thee  do  I  pray. 

O  Jehovah,  in  the  morning  shalt  thou  hear  my  voice; 
In  the  morning  will  I  order  my  prayer  unto  thee,  and 
will  keep  watch. — Psalm  5:1-3. 

Probably  most  people  are  so  constituted  by  nature  and  are 
so  preoccupied  by  business  that  some  such  arrangement  as 
is  suggested  in  this  Psalm  about  regularity  is  essential  to 
a  successful  life  of  prayer.  To  be  sure,  Alice  Freeman 
Palmer,  first  President  of  Wellesley,  has  this  written  of  her 
in  her  husband's  story  of  her  life,  "God  was  her  steady 
companion,  so  naturally  a  part  of  her  hourly  thought  that 
she  attached  little  consequence  to  specific  occasions  of  inter- 
course. .  .  .  She  had  no  fixed  times  of  prayer."  But  before 
any  one  presumes  on  such  a  record  of  fine  living  with  God, 
minus  regularity  of  prayer,  he  would  better  examine  his 
own  character  with  some  scrutiny.  The  chances  are  in  most 
lives  that  the  keeping  of  the  "morning  watch"  will  prove  to 
be  one  of  the  most  salutary  agencies  within  the  control  of 

75 


.[V-6]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

.the  will.  This  will  cost,  as  regularity  always  costs,  a  per- 
sistent determination  not  to  surrender  to  adverse  circum- 
stances or  wayward  moods.  But  consider  what  it  would  mean 
each  morning  to  put  the  life  at  God's  disposal  in  some  such 
way  as  Thomas  a  Kempis  does  in  this  prayer : 

Lord,  work  in  my  heart  a  true  Faith,  a  purifying  Hope, 
•and  an  unfeigned  Love  towards  Thee;  give  me  a  full  Trust 
•on  Thee,  Zeal  for  Thee,  Reverence  of  all  things  that  relate 
.to  Thee ;  make  me  fearful  to  offend  Thee,  Thankful  for  Thy 
Mercies,  Humble  under  Thy  Corrections,  Devout  in  Thy 
Service,  and  sorrowful  for  my  Sins;  and  Grant  that  in  all 
things  I  may  behave  myself  so,  as  befits  a  Creature  to  his 
Creator,  a  Servant  to  his  Lord:  .  .  .  make  me  Diligent  in 
all  my  Duties,  watchful  against  all  Temptations,  perfectly 
Pure  and  Temperate,  and  so  Moderate  in  Thy  most  Lawful 
Enjoyments,  that  they  may  never  become  a  Snare  to  me; 
make  me  also,  O  Lord,  to  be  so  affected  towards  my  Neigh- 
bour that  I  never  transgress  that  Royal  Law  of  Thine,  of 
Loving  him  as  myself;  grant  me  exactly  to  perform  all  parts 
of  Justice;  yielding  to  all  whatsoever  by  any  kind  of  Right 
becomes  their  due,  and  give  me  such  Mercy  and  Compassion, 
that  I  may  never  fail  to  do  all  Acts  of  Charity  to  all  men, 
whether  Friends  or  Enemies,  according  to  Thy  Command 
and  Example.  Amen. — Thomas  a  Kempis  (1379-1471). 

Sixth  Day,  Fifth  Week 

And  after  six  days  Jesus  taketh  with  him  Peter,  and 
James,  and  John,  and  bringeth  them  up  into  a  high 
mountain  apart  by  themselves:  and  he  was  transfigured 
before  them;  and  his  garments  became  glistering,  ex- 
ceeding white,  so  as  no  fuller  on  earth  can  whiten  them. 
And  there  appeared  unto  them  Elijah  with  Moses:  and 
they  were  talking  with  Jesus.  And  Peter  answereth  and 
saith  to  Jesus,  Rabbi,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here:  and 
let  us  make  three  tabernacles;  one  for  thee,  and  one  for 
Moses,  and  one  for  Elijah. — Mark  9 :  2-5. 

How  natural  for  Peter  to  desire  to  remain  in  such  a  glow- 
ing experience!  But  he  could  not;  it  was  one  of  those 
elevated  hours,  that  cannot  be  continuous,  but  that  can 

76 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [V-;] 

reveal  outlooks  which  make  all  the  dusty  traveling  after- 
ward more  meaningful.  Once  in  a  while  our  moods  go  up  a 
mountain  and  have  a  great  experience,  returning  cleansed, 
exhilarated  and  reassured.  We  must  cherish  such  hours, 
believe  in  the  validity  of  their  witness  to  God's  presence  with 
us,  gain  confidence  from  their  testimony  to  our  sonship 
with  him,  and  keep  the  reassuring  memory  of  life's  meaning 
as  we  saw  it  then.  But  we  must  not  refuse  another  sort  of 
praying,  less  ecstatic  and  glowing,  more  quiet  and  common- 
place. We  must  not  cherish  false  expectations,  demanding 
transfigured  hours  continually.  Gethsemane  is  also  prayer 
and  many  a  lesser  time  when  the  soul  inwardly  steadies 
itself  on  God  and  trusts  where  it  cannot  see.  Successful 
praying  costs  this  sort  of  patience  with  commonplace  hours. 
Said  Fenelon:  "Do  not  be  discouraged  at  your  faults;  bear 
with  yourself  in  correcting  them,  as  you  would  with  your 
neighbor.  Accustom  yourself  gradually  to  carry  prayer  into 
all  your  daily  occupations.  Speak,  move,  work  in  peace,  as 
if  you  were  in  prayer." 

O  God,  Thou  hast  found  us,  and  not  we  Thee.  At  times 
we  but  dimly  discern  Thee;  the  dismal  mists  of  earth  obscure 
Thy  glory.  Yet  in  other  and  more  blessed  moments,  Thou 
dost  rise  upon  our  souls,  and  we  know  Thee  as  the  Light 
of  all  our  seeing,  the  Life  of  all  that  is  not  dead  within  us, 
the  Bringer  of  health  and  cure,  the  Revealer  of  peace  and 
truth.  We  will  not  doubt  our  better  moments,  for  in  them 
Thou  dost  speak  to  us.  We  rejoice  that  Thou  hast  created 
us  in  Thine  image.  Thy  love  has  stirred  us  into  being,  has 
endowed  us  with  spiritual  substance.  In  the  intellect,  whose 
thoughts  wander  through  eternity;  in  the  conscience  that 
bears  witness  to  Thy  eternal  righteousness;  in  the  affections 
that  make  life  sweet,  and  reach  forth  to  Thee,  O  Lover  of 
Mankind — in  these,  we  are  made  heirs  to  the  riches  of  Thy 
grace. — Samuel  McComb. 


Seventh  Day,  Fifth  Week 

Hold  not  thy  peace,  O  God  of  my  praise; 
For  the  mouth  of  the  wicked  and  the  mouth  of  deceit 
have  they  opened  against  me: 

77 


[V-7]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

They  have  spoken  unto  me  with  a  lying  tongue. 

They  have  compassed  me  about  also  with  words  of  hatred, 

And  fought  against  me  without  a  cause. 

For  my  love  they  are  my  adversaries: 

But  I  give  myself  unto  prayer. — Psalm  109 : 1-4. 

Such  things  as  these  true  prayer  is  likely  to  cost :  a  good 
life,  right  thinking,  special  preparations  of  the  mind,  per- 
sistence through  difficulties,  regularity,  and  patience  with 
commonplace  hours.  But  a  life  that  has  learned  the  secret 
of  real  praying  is  worth  all  that  it  costs.  As  the  Psalmist 
says,  it  is  worth  giving  ourselves  to.  Consider  Luther's  great 
description  of  such  a  life :  "Therefore,  where  there  is  a 
Christian,  there  is  also  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  he  does  nothing 
else  save  pray  continually.  For  even  if  the  mouth  be  not 
always  moving  and  uttering  words,  yet  the  heart  goes  on 
beating  unceasingly  with  cries  like  these,  Ah !  dear  Father, 
may  thy  name  be  hallowed,  may  thy  Kingdom  come,  and  thy 
will  be  done.  And  whenever  there  come  sorer  buffetings  and 
trials  and  needs,  then  the  aspiration  and  supplication  increase, 
even  audibly,  so  that  you  cannot  find  a  Christian  man  who 
does  not  pray;  just  as  you  cannot  find  a  living  man  without 
a  pulse  that  never  stands  still,  but  beats  and  beats  on  con- 
tinually of  itself,  although  the  man  may  sleep  or  do  anything 
else,  so  being  all  unconscious  of  this  pulse." 

Let  us  today  make  Archbishop  Trench's  sonnet  our  prayer : 

"If   we  with   earnest  effort  could   succeed 

To  make  our  life  one  long  connected  prayer, 
As  lives  of  some  perhaps  have  been  and  are; 
If,  never  leaving  thee,  we  had  no  need 
Our  wandering  spirits  back  again  to  lead 
Into  thy  presence,  but  continue  there, 
Like  angels  standing  on  the  highest  stair 
Of  the  sapphire  throne, — this  were  to  pray  indeed. 

But  if  distractions  manifold  prevail, 
And  if  in  this  we  must  confess  we  fail, 
Grant  us  to  keep  at  least  a  prompt  desire, 

Continual  readiness  for  prayer  and  praise, 
An  altar  heaped  and  waiting  to  take  fire 

With  the  least  spark,  and  leap  into  a  blaze." 
78 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [V-c] 

COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 
I 

A  critic  with  discriminating  insight  has  objected  to  Vol- 
taire's writings  on  the  ground  that  nothing  could  possibly 
be  quite  so  clear  as  Voltaire  makes  it.  A  book  on  prayer 
readily  runs  into  danger  of  the  same  criticism.  For,  like 
every  other  vital  experience,  prayer  in  practice  meets  obstacles 
that  a  theoretical  discussion  too  easily  glosses  over  and  for- 
gets. Even  when  prayer  is  denned  as  communion  with  God, 
and  our  thought  of  it  is  thereby  freed  from  many  embarrass- 
ments, as  a  kite  escapes  the  trees  and  bushes  when  one  flies 
it  high,  there  remain  practical  difficulties  which  perplex  many 
who  sincerely  try  to  pray. 

For  example,  real  communion  involves  the  vivid  conscious- 
ness that  someone  is  present,  with  whom  we  are  enjoying 
fellowship.  Now  a  man  may  believe  that  God  is,  may  desire 
earnestly  to  speak  with  him,  and  may  not  doubt  in  theory 
the  possibility  of  such  communion ;  but  in  practice  he  may 
utterly  fail  to  feel  the  presence  of  God.  In  spite  of  his  best 
efforts  he  may  seem  to  himself  to  be  talking  into  empty 
space.  The  sense  of  futility — such  as  comes  to  one  who  finds 
that  he  has  been  speaking  in  the  dark  to  nobody,  when  he 
supposed  a  friend  was  in  the  room — may  so  confuse  him 
that,  theory  or  no  theory,  prayer  becomes  practically  value- 
less. He  cries  with  Job,  not  in  a  spirit  of  scepticism,  but  in 
great  perplexity  and  in  genuine  desire  for  the  divine  fellow- 
ship, "Behold,  I  go  forward,  but  he  is  not  there;  And  back- 
ward, but  I  cannot  perceive  him"  (Job  23:8).  The  practice 
of  God's  presence  is  not  so  simple  as  words  sometimes  make 
it  seem. 

One  obvious  reason  for  this  sense  of  God's  unreality,  which 
often  makes  helpful  prayer  impossible,  lies  of  course  in 
character.  Isaiah  was  dealing  with  a  universal  truth  when 
he  said :  "Your  iniquities  have  separated  between  you  and 
your  God,  and  your  sins  have  hid  his  face  from  you"  (Isaiah 
59:  2).  One  has  only  to  consider  that  frivolous  American  who 
in  the  Rembrandt  room  of  the  Amsterdam  Gallery  looked 
lackadaisically  around  and  asked:  "I  wonder  if  there  is  any- 
thing here  worth  seeing";  one  has  only  to  recall  the  women 
who  climbed  an  Alpine  height  on  an  autumn  day,  when  the 
riot  of  color  in  the  valley  sobered  into  the  green  of  the 

79 


[V-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

pines  upon  the  heights,  and  over  all  stood  the  crests  of 
eternal  snow,  and  who  inquired  in  the  full  sight  of  all  this, 
"We  heard  there  was  a  view  up  here ;  where  is  it  ?"  to  see 
that  there  is  a  spiritual  qualification  for  every  experience, 
and  that  without  it  nothing  fine  and  beautiful  can  ever  be 
real  to  any  one.  "Mr.  Turner,"  a  man  once  said  to  the 
artist,  "I  never  see  any  sunsets  like  yours."  And  the  artist 
answered  grimly,  "No,  sir.  Don't  you  wish  you  could  ?"  How 
clearly  then  must  the  sense  of  God's  reality  be  a  progressive 
and  often  laborious  achievement  of  the  spirit !  It  is  not 
a  matter  to  be  taken  for  granted,  as  though  any  one  could 
saunter  into  God's  presence  at  any  time,  in  any  mood,  with 
any  sort  of  life  behind  him,  and  at  once  perceive  God  there. 
Let  some  debauche  from  the  dens  of  a  city  walk  into  a 
company  where  men  are  chivalrous  and  women  pure,  and 
how  much  will  the  debauche  understand  of  his  new  environ- 
ment? Stone  walls  are  not  so  impenetrable  as  the  veil  of 
moral  difference  between  the  clean  and  unclean.  So  spiritual 
alienation  between  God  and  man  ma!  es  fellowship  impossible. 
Of  all  the  evils  that  most  surely  work  this  malign  result  in 
man's  communion  with  the  Father,  the  Master  specially  noted 
two :  impurity — "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall 
see  God";  and  vindictiveness,  the  unbrotherly  spirit  that  will 
not  forgive  nor  seek  to  be  forgiven — "If  therefore  thou  art 
offering  thy  gift  before  the  altar,  and  there  rememberest 
that  thy  brother  hath  ought  against  thee,  leave  there  thy  gift 
before  the  altar,  and  go  thy  way,  first  be  reconciled  to  thy 
brother,  and  then  come  and  offer  they  gift"  (Matt.  5:23,  24). 
No  one  can  be  wrong  with  man  and  right  with  God.  In 
Coleridge's  "Ancient  Mariner,"  one  of  the  most  vivid  pictures 
of  sin's  consequences  ever  drawn,  the  effect  of  lovelessness 
on  prayer  is  put  into  a  rememberable  verse : 

"I  looked  to  heaven  and  tried  to  pray, 

But  or  ever  a  prayer  had  gush't, 
A  wicked  whisper  came  and  made 
My  heart  as  dry  as  dust." 

Most  of  us  have  experienced  that  stanza's  truth.  The  har- 
boring of  a  grudge,  the  subtle  wish  for  another's  harm,  the 
envy  that  corrupts  the  heart,  even  if  it  find  no  expression  in 
word  or  deed — such  attitudes  always  prove  impassable  bar- 
go 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [V-c] 

riers  to  spontaneous  prayer.  When,  therefore,  any  one  en- 
counters the  practical  difficulty  that  arises  from  the  sense 
of  God's  unreality,  he  may  well  search  his  life  for  sinister 
habits  of  thought,  for  cherished  evils  dimly  recognized  as 
wrong  but  unsurrendered,  for  lax  carelessness  in  conduct 
or  deliberate  infidelity  to  conscience,  for  sins  whose  commis- 
sion he  deplores,  but  whose  results  he  still  clings  to  and 
desires,  and  above  all  for  selfishness  that  hinders  loving  and 
so  breaks  the  connections  that  bind  us  to  God  and  one  an- 
other. 

II 

The  sense  of  God's  unreality,  however,  does  not  necessarily 
imply  a  wicked  life.  There  are  other  reasons  which  often 
hinder  men  from  a  vivid  consciousness  of  God.  All  of  us, 
for  example,  have  moods  in  which  the  vision  of  God  grows 
dim.  Our  life  is  not  built  on  a  level  so  that  we  can  maintain 
a  constant  elevation  of  spirit.  We  have  mountains  and 
valleys,  emotional  ups  and  downs ;  and,  as  with  our  Lord, 
the  radiant  experience  of  transfiguration  is  succeeded  by  an 
hour  of  bitterness  when  the  soul  cries,  "My  God,  my  God, 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  (Matt.  27:46).  Cowper  tells 
us  that  in  prayer  he  had  known  such  exaltation  that  he 
thought  he  would  die  from  excess  of  joy;  but  at  another 
time,  asked  for  some  hymns  for  a  new  hymnal,  he  wrote  in 
answer,  "How  can  you  ask  of  me  such  a  service?  I  seem 
to  myself  to  be  banished  to  a  remoteness  from  God's  presence, 
in  comparison  with  which  the  distance  from  the  East  to  the 
West  is  vicinity,  is  cohesion."  Of  course  we  cannot  always 
pray  with  the  same  intensity  and  conscious  satisfaction.  "I 
pray  more  heartily  at  some  times  than  at  others,"  says  Tolstoi ; 
and  even  Bunyan  had  his  familiar  difficulties :  "O,  the  start- 
ing holes  that  the  heart  hath  in  the  time  of  prayer  1  None 
knows  how  many  bye-ways  the  heart  hath  and  back  lanes 
to  slip  away  from  the  presence  of  God."  The  first  step  in 
dealing  with  this  familiar  experience  is  to  recognize  its 
naturalness  and  therefore  to  go  through  it  undismayed. 
When  Paul  said  to  Timothy,  "Be  urgent  in  season,  out  of 
season,"  he  was  giving  that  advice  which  a  wise  experience 
always  gives  to  immaturity :  Make  up  your  mind  in  advance 
to  keep  your  course  steady,  when  you  feel  like  it  and  when 
you  don't.  This  difficulty  of  moods  has  been  met  by  all  God's 

81 


[V-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

people.  The  biography  of  any  spiritual  leader  contains 
passages  such  as  this,  from  one  of  Hugh  Latimer's  letters  to 
his  fellow-martyr,  Ridley :  "Pardon  me  and  pray  for  me ; 
pray  for  me,  I  say.  For  I  am  sometimes  so  fearful,  that  I 
would  creep  into  a  mouse-hole;  sometimes  God  doth  visit  me 
again  with  his  comfort.  So  he  cometh  and  goeth." 

A  man  who  surrenders  to  these  variable  moods  is  doomed 
to  inefficiency.  He  is  like  a  ship  that  drifts  as  the  tides  run 
and  the  winds  blow,  and  does  not  hold  its  course  through 
them  and  in  spite  of  them.  Matthew  Arnold  goes  to  the  pith 
of  the  problem,  so  far  as  duty-doing  is  concerned : 

"Tasks   in   hours   of   insight   willed 
May  be  in  hours  of  gloom  fulfilled." 

And  the  same  attitude  is  necessary  in  the  life  of  prayer.  Of 
course  we  cannot  always  pray  with  the  same  sense  of  God's 
nearness,  the  same  warmth  of  conscious  fellowship  with  him. 
Plotinus  said  that  he  had  really  prayed  only  four  times  in 
his  life.  Lowell,  in  his  "Cathedral,"  writes, 

"I  that  still  pray  at  morning  and  at  eve  .  .  . 
Thrice  in  my  life  perhaps  have  truly  prayed, 
Thrice,  stirred  below  my  conscious  self,  have  felt 
That  perfect  disenthralment  which  is  God." 

The  heights  of  fellowship  with  God  are  not  often  reached — 
even  the  record  of  Jesus'  life  contains  only  one  Transfigura- 
tion— but  this  does  not  mean  that  the  value  of  prayer  is  only 
thus  occasional.  As  Dean  Goulburn  put  it,  "When  you  can- 
not pray  as  you  zvould,  pray  as  you  can."  A  man  does  not 
deny  the  existence  of  the  sun  because  it  is  a  cloudy  day,  nor 
cease  to  count  on  the  sun  to  serve  him  and  his.  Moods  are 
the  clouds  in  our  spiritual  skies.  A  man  must  not  overempha- 
size their  importance.  Surely  he  should  not  on  account  of 
them  cease  to  trust  the  God  who  is  temporarily  obscured  by 
them. 

Moreover,  a  man  need  not  passively  allow  his  moods  to 
become  chronic.  Many  a  life,  like  an  old-fashioned  well,  has 
latent  resources  of  living  water  underneath,  but  the  pump 
needs  priming.  Into  a  man's  prayerless  mood  let  a  little 

82 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [V-c] 

living  water  from  some  one  else's  prayer  be  poured,  and 
water  from  the  nether  wells  of  the  man's  own  soul  may  flow 
again.  For  such  a  purpose,  collections  of  prayers  like  the 
Bishop  of  Ripon's  "The  Communion  of  Prayer"  or  Tiles- 
ton's  "Great  Souls  at  Prayer"  are  useful;  and  books  of  devo- 
tion such  as  St.  Augustine's  "Confessions."  They  often  prime 
the  pump.  Indeed,  prayer  itself  is  a  great  conqueror  of 
perverse  moods.  You  are  not  in  the  spirit  of  prayer  and 
therefore  will  refuse  to  pray  until  your  mood  chances  to  be 
congenial?  But  clearly  Dr.  Forsyth's  comparison  is  apt: 
"Sometimes  when  you  need  rest  most  you  are  too  restless  to 
lie  down  and  take  it.  Then  compel  yourself  to  lie  down  and 
to  lie  still.  Often  in  ten  minutes  the  compulsion  fades  into 
consent  and  you  sleep,  and  rise  a  new  man  ...  So  if  you 
are  averse  to  pray,  pray  the  more." 


Ill 

Deeper  than  the  difficulty  of  passing  moods  lies  the  problem 
of  those  who  habitually  fail  to  feel  the  presence  of  God.  In 
many  cases  the  trouble  is  temperamental.  Some  men  seem 
by  their  native  constitution  to  be  specially  designed  for  reli- 
gion. They  are  geniuses  in  the  realm  of  spirit,  as  a  Beethoven 
is  in  music  or  a  Raphael  in  art.  The  unseen  is  real  to  them ; 
they  are  immediately  aware  of  its  presence,  sensitive  to  its 
meaning,  responsive  to  its  appeal.  When  they  speak  of 
prayer  their  vivid  experience  of  God  demands  for  its  expres- 
sion poetry  rather  than  prose.  "Orison,"  they  cry  with 
Mechthild  of  Magdeburg,  "draws  the  great  God  into  the  small 
heart ;  it  drives  the  hungry  soul  out  to  the  full  God.  It  brings 
together  two  lovers,  God  and  the  soul,  into  a  joyful  room." 
To  temperaments  of  this  quality  the  practice  of  God's  pres- 
ence is  as  spontaneous  as  any  human  love  and  quite  as  real. 

But  what  of  one  who  is  not  thus  gifted?  He  is  perhaps 
of  a  practical  temperament,  a  man  of  action  rather  than  of 
meditation.  Even  in  human  relationships  he  is  not  demon- 
strative, and  is  more  given  to  revealing  his  loyalty  and  affec- 
tion by  concrete  deeds  of  service  than  by  radiant  hours  of 
communion.  He  stands  perplexed  before  the  exalted  moods 
of  the  mystic.  He  cannot  so  strain  himself  as  to  reach  them. 
He  feels  out  of  his  element  when  he  reads  about  them.  When 

8.1 


[V-cl  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

he  prays  he  reaches  no  heights  of  conscious  fellowship  with 
God.  During  the  singing  of  a  hymn  like  "Sweet  Hour  of 
Prayer"  he  feels  as  unresponsive  to  the  experience  from 
which  the  hymn  arose  as  Dean  Stanley  would  have  felt  to  the 
music.  The  Dean  could  not  recognize  even  the  national 
anthem  save  by  the  fact  that  the  people  all  arose  at  the  first 
bar.  What  shall  be  said  to  a  man  who  thus  believes  in  God 
and  tries  to  do  his  will,  but  who  is  not  warmly  conscious  of 
fellowship  with  him  in  prayer?  Something  surely  must  be 
said,  for  if  prayer  is  so  interpreted  that  it  is  left  as  the 
possession  of  those  only  who  are  of  the  emotional  and  mystic 
temperament,  many  of  the  most  useful  folk  on  earth,  in  whom 
practical  and  intellectual  interests  are  supreme — the  thinkers 
and  the  workers — will  feel  themselves  excluded  from  the 
possibility  of  praying. 

We  touch  here  one  of  the  most  crucial  matters  in  our 
study  of  prayer.  Every  man  must  be  allowed  to  pray  in  his 
own  way.  It  is  far  from  being  true  that  the  most  valuable 
temperament  in  religion  is  the  mystical.  God  needs  us  all. 
Some  are  phlegmatic — stolid,  patient,  undemonstrative;  some 
are  choleric — high-spirited,  nervous,  passionate;  some  are 
sanguine — hopeful,  cheerful,  light-hearted ;  some  are  somber 
and  serious.  Even  this  time-honored  classification  of  the 
temperaments  is  not  exhaustive.  There  are  as  many  tem- 
peraments as  there  are  men,  and  each  has  his  own  problems 
and  his  peculiar  way  of  expressing  the  spirit  of  Christ.  The 
first  step  in  useful  living  for  many  folk  is  the  recognition 
of  God's  purpose  in  making  us  on  such  unique  and  individual 
plans.  He  evidently  likes  us  better  that  way.  John  makes  a 
better  John  than  Peter  ever  could  have  been,  and  Peter  a  more 
useful  Peter  than  was  possible  to  John.  We  are  so  used  to 
school  examinations  where  the  whole  class  must  submit  to  the 
same  tests  of  excellence  that  we  forget  how  surely  in  the 
moral  life  we  shall  have  individual  tests.  Each  man  is  being 
tried  in  a  private  examination.  He  is  not  expected  to  be  a 
Christian  in  any  other  man's  way.  As  in  Emerson's  parable 
of  the  mountain  and  the  squirrel,  he  can  be  undismayed  by 
the  special  excellence  of  another,  and  can  say  as  the  squirrel 
did  to  the  mountain, 

"If  I  cannot  carry  mountains  on  my  back, 
Neither  can  you  crack  a  nut." 
84 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [V-c] 

Now  this  general  principle  has  its  special  application  to 
prayer.  Nothing  could  be  more  intensely  individual  than  the 
prayers  of  the  Bible.  Nobody  tries  to  commune  with  God  in 
any  one  else's  way.  Some  pray  kneeling,  like  Paul  (Acts 
20 :  36)  ;  some  standing,  like  Jeremiah  ( Jer.  18 : 20)  ;  some 
sitting,  like  David  (II  Sam.  7:  18)  ;  some  prostrate,  like  Jesus 
(Matt.  26:39).  Some  pray  silently,  like  Hannah  (I  Sam. 
i  :  13)  ;  some  aloud,  like  Ezekiel  (Ezek.  n:  13).  Some  pray 
in  the  temple  (II  Kings  19:  14)  ;  some  in  bed  (Psalm  63:6), 
in  the  fields  (Gen.  24:  n,  12,),  on  the  hillside  (Gen.  28:  18-20), 
on  the  battlefield  (I  Sam.  7:  5),  by  a  riverside  (Acts  16:  13), 
on  the  seashore  (Acts  21:5),  in  the  privacy  of  the  chamber 
(Matt.  6:6).  Moreover  all  sorts  of  temperaments  are  found 
at  prayer )  practical  leaders  like  Nehemiah,  who  in  a  silent 
ejaculation  of  the  spirit  seeks  God's  help  before  he  speaks 
to  the  king  (Neh.  1 : 3,  5)  ;  poets  like  the  writer  of  the  twenty- 
seventh  Psalm,  who  love  communion  with  God;  men  of 
melancholy  mind  like  Jeremiah,  "Hast  thou  utterly  rejected 
Judah?  hath  thy  soul  loathed  Zion?"  (Jer.  14:  19)  ;  and  men 
of  radiant  spirit  like  Isaiah,  "Jehovah,  even  Jehovah,  is  my 
strength  and  song;  and  he  is  become  my  salvation"  (Isaiah 
12:  2).  There  are  as  many  different  ways  of  praying  as  there 
are  different  individuals.  Consider  the  prayer  of  St.  Augus- 
tine :  "Let  my  soul  take  refuge  from  the  crowding  turmoil 
of  worldly  thoughts  beneath  the  shadow  of  thy  wings ;  let 
my  heart,  this  sea  of  restless  waves,  find  peace  in  thee,  O 
God."  And  then  in  contrast  consider  the  prayer  of  Lord 
Ashley,  before  he  charged  at  the  battle  of  Edge  Hill:  "O 
Lord,  thou  knowest  how  busy  I  must  be  this  day.  If  I  forget 
thee,  do  not  thou  forget  me." 

We  need  always  to  remember,  therefore,  that  there  is 
no  one  mould  of  prayer  into  which  our  communion  with 
God  must  be  run.  Let  each  man  pray  as  best  he  can.  Let 
no  man  make  himself  the  slave  of  another's  methods.  Pro- 
fessor George  Albert  Coe  has  put  a  valuable  truth  into  a  few 
succinct  sentences :  "The  tendency  ...  is  to  create  an  impres- 
sion that  the  more  valuable  forms  of  prayer  are  reserved  for 
a  special  class  of  persons.  This  impression,  too,  is  uncon- 
sciously fostered  by  the  adulation  that  is  bestowed  upon  men, 
often  young  men,  who  cultivate  a  particular  type  of  prayer, 
and  talk  a  great  deal  about  it.  What  we  need  more  than 
almost  anything  else  is  to  cultivate  in  timid  souls  that  tend  to 

85 


[V-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

self-distrust,  in  critical  souls  that  think  before  they  assert, 
and  in  active  souls  that  prefer  giving  to  receiving,  a  robust 
respect  for  their  own  natural  types  of  prayer." 


IV 

If  we  are  to  deal  adequately,  however,  with  the  trouble 
which  some  habitually  and  all  of  us  occasionally  have  in 
realizing  the  presence  of  God,  we  must  do  more  than  tell 
each  man  to  pray  as  he  can.  There  are  prevalent  attitudes 
among  people  who  try  to  pray  that  make  the  consciousness 
of  God's  presence  well-nigh  impossible.  We  may  note  as 
the  first  of  these  that  vague  groping  after  a  God  outside  of 
us  which  so  often  ends  in  the  futile  feeling  of  having  talked 
to  empty  space.  Many  men,  in  their  earnest  desire  to  enter 
fully  into  the  Christian  experience,  strain  after  a  realization 
of  God's  presence  as  though  by  some  violence  and  stress  of 
the  will  it  could  be  attained.  Their  souls  are  mortars,  their 
petitions  bombs;  they  explode  themselves  toward  heaven, 
and  save  for  the  echo  of  their  own  outburst  they  hear  no 
answer  whatever.  Madame  Guyon  records  that  just  this  was 
her  perplexity  until  a  Franciscan  friar  gave  her  this  sugges- 
tive advice :  "Madame,  you  are  seeking  without  that  which 
you  have  within.  Accustom  yourself  to  seek  God  in  your 
own  heart,  and  you  will  find  him."  This  counsel  is  wise  and 
practical.  The  presence  of  God  can  be  experienced  only 
within  our  own  hearts.  All  the  best  in  us  is  God  in  us. 
Generally,  if  not  always,  it  is  quite  impossible  to  distinguish 
between  the  voice  of  God  and  the  voice  of  our  own  best  con- 
science and  ideals.  They  are  not  to  be  distinguished.  What 
we  call  conscience  and  ideals  are  God's  voice,  mediated  to  us 
through  our  own  finest  endowments. 

This  does  not  mean  that  these  voices  of  God,  mediated  to 
us  through  our  best,  are  infallible.  It  does  mean  that  God 
in  them  is  trying  to  speak  to  us  according  to  our  capacity  to 
understand.  If  our  windows  are  soiled,  the  sun's  rays  are 
hindered ;  but  that  fact  is  no  denial  of  the  truth  that  what- 
ever light  does  come  through  our  windows  comes  from  the 
sun.  So  God  is  compelled  to  minister  his  blessing  to  us 
through  our  own  capacities  to  receive  and  appropriate.  No 
man  should  ever  grope  outside  of  his  best  self  to  find  God. 

86 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [V-c] 

He  should  always  seek  the  God  who  is  speaking  to  him  in  his 
best  self. 

During  a  dry  season  in  the  New  Hebrides,  John  G.  Paton 
the  missionary  awakened  the  derision  of  the  natives  by 
digging  for  water.  They  said  water  always  came  down  from 
heaven,  not  up  through  the  earth.  But  Paton  revealed  a  larger 
truth  than  they  had  seen  before  by  discovering  to  them  that 
heaven  could  give  them  water  through  their  own  land.  So  men 
insist  on  waiting  for  God  to  send  them  blessing  in  some  super- 
normal way,  when  all  the  while  he  is  giving  them  abundant 
supply  if  they  would  only  learn  to  retreat  into  the  fertile 
places  of  their  own  spirits  where,  as  Jesus  said,  the  wells  of 
living  waters  seek  to  rise.  We  need  to  learn  Eckhart's 
lesson,  "God  is  nearer  to  me  than  I  am  to  myself;  he  is  just 
as  near  to  wood  and  stone,  but  they  do  not  know  it."  We 
need  to  understand  the  word  attributed  to  Albert  the  Great, 
"To  mount  to  God  is  to  enter  into  one's  self.  For  he  who 
inwardly  entereth  and  intimately  penetrateth  into  himself  gets 
above  and  beyond  himself  and  truly  mounts  up  to  God."  And 
in  learning  the  meaning  of  words  like  these,  we  shall  be 
coming  into  the  spirit  of  many  a  Scripture  passage:  "If  we 
love  one  another,  God  abideth  in  us"  (I  John  4:12);  "We 
are  a  temple  of  the  living  God ;  even  as  God  said,  I  will  dwell 
in  them"  (II  Cor.  6:  16)  ;  "If  any  man  .  .  .  open  the  door, 
I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with 
me"  (Rev.  3 : 20)  ;  "The  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall 
become  in  him  a  well  of  water"  (John  4:  14). 

Any  one,  therefore,  troubled  by  the  seeming  unreality  of 
God  may  well  imitate  the  Psalmist  who  begins  his  psalm  by 
saying,  "I  will  cry  unto  God,"  and  who  in  the  sixth  verse  says, 
"I  commune  with  mine  own  heart"  (Psalm  77).  The  two 
verses  are  not  in  conflict.  The  only  way  any  one  can  com- 
mune with  God  is  through  his  own  heart.  Indeed,  we  may 
call  those  psychologists  to  witness  who  discover  in  the 
spirit's  life  the  transforming  influences  of  which  we  have 
been  speaking,  and  who  ascribe  them  to  the  "subconscious." 
Powers  of  joy  and  peace,  influences  that  renovate  character, 
change  disposition,  and  inspire  service,  do  appear  in  human 
life,  they  say,  but  these  effects  which  the  New  Testament 
attributes  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  ascribe  to  the  "sub- 
conscious." There  should  be  no  permanent  misunderstanding 
here.  The  tides  that  come  into  New  York  Harbor  come 

87 


[V-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

through  the  Narrows,  but  they  do  not  start  there.  You  never 
can  get  at  the  secret  of  the  inflow  from  the  sea,  which  makes 
the  sailing  of  great  ships  possible,  by  saying  that  the  presence 
of  the  Narrows  explains  it.  The  tides  come  through  the 
Narrows,  not  from  them.  So  we  cannot  solve  the  mystery 
of  that  divine  help  which  great  souls  know  by  giving  names 
to  substations  in  our  own  minds.  We  must  go  deeper  and 
farther  than  that.  God  himself  is  trying  through  our  best  to 
find  a  channel  for  his  Spirit. 

V 

The  consideration  of  this  vague  groping  after  a  God  out- 
side of  us,  leads  us  to  a  matter  even  more  important.  The 
elemental  trouble  with  the  prayers  of  those  who  fail  to  find 
God  real  is  often  the  very  fact  that  they  are  seeking  for  God. 
No  one  is  prepared  to  experience  the  presence  of  God  until 
he  sees  that  God  is  seeking  for  him.  Paul  describes  the  pagan 
world  as  seeking  God,  "if  haply  they  might  feel  after  him 
and  find  him"  (Acts  17:27);  and  many  a  Christian  in  this 
regard  is  a  pagan  still.  We  have  turned  the  parables  of 
Jesus  in  the  fifteenth  Chapter  of  Luke  quite  upside  down. 
According  to  our  attitude  in  prayer,  the  shepherd  is  lost,  and 
the  sheep  have  gone  out  on  the  tempest-driven  mountainside 
to  hunt  for  him.  But  not  so  the  Master !  To  him  the  sheep 
are  wandering,  and  the  shepherd  with  undiscourageable  per- 
sistency is  seeking  them.  Without  this  thought  of  God  as 
initiating  the  search,  so  that  our  finding  of  him  is  simply 
our  response  to  his  quest  for  us,  the  endeavor  of  any  man  to 
seek  God  is  of  all  enterprises  the  most  hopeless.  How  can 
the  finite  discover  the  Infinite  unless  the  Infinite  desires  to 
be  found?  How  can  man  break  up  into  an  experience  of 
God  unless  God  is  seeking  to  reach  down  into  friendship  with 
man?  The  deepest  necessity  of  a  fruitful  life  of  prayer  is 
the  recognition  that  God's  search  for  men  is  prior  to  any 
man's  search  for  God.  In  the  words  of  one  of  Faber's  hymns, 

"  'Tis  rather  God  who  seeks   for  us 
Than  we  who  seek  for  him." 

Now  the  search  of  God  for  man  has  always  been  believed 
by  Christians,  but  by  many  it  has  become  a  historical  matter. 

88 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [V-c] 

God  did  seek  for  man  in  Christ.  This  fundamental  truth  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  for  prayer.  For,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  whenever  a  Christian  prays  he  prays  to  the  God  whose 
love  for  us  Christ  revealed,  and  to  the  knowledge  of  whom 
we  never  should  have  come  without  Christ.  As  Fichte  put  it, 
"All  who  since  Jesus  have  come  into  union  with  God  have 
come  unto  union  with  God  through  him."  But  this  belief 
in  God's  search  for  man  in  Christ  is  not  sufficient  for  prayer. 
God  is  forever  seeking  each  man.  The  promptings  of  con- 
science, the  lure  of  fine  ideals,  the  demands  of  friendship,  the 
suggestions  of  good  books,  the  calls  to  service,  every  noble 
impulse  in  hours  when 

"The  spirit's  true  endowments 
Stand  out  plainly  from  the  false  ones," 

are  all  the  approach  of  God  to  us.  Prayer  is  not  groping 
after  him.  Prayer  is  opening  the  life  up  to  him.  The  prayer- 
less  heart  is  fleeing  from  God.  Finding  God  is  really  letting 
God  find  us;  for  our  search  for  him  is  simply  surrender 
to  his  search  for  us.  When  the  truth  of  this  is  clearly  seen, 
prayer  becomes  real.  There  is  no  more  talking  into  empty 
space,  no  more  fumbling  in  the  dark  to  lay  hold  on  him.  We 
go  into  the  secret  place  and  there  let  every  fine  and  ennobling 
influence  which  God  is  sending  to  us  have  free  play.  We  let 
him  speak  to  us  through  our  best  thoughts,  our  clearest 
spiritual  visions,  our  finest  conscience.  We  no  longer  en- 
deavor to  escape.  We  find  him  as  run-away  children,  weary 
of  their  escapade,  find  their  father.  They  consent  to  be  found 
by  him. 

"I  said,  'I  will  find  God,'  and  forth  I  went 
To  seek  Him  in  the  clearness  of  the  sky, 
But  over  me  stood  unendurably 
Only  a  pitiless,  sapphire  firmament 
Ringing  the  world,  blank  splendour;  yet  intent 
Still  to  find  God,  'I  will  go  seek,'  said  I, 
'His  way  upon  the  waters,'  and  drew  nigh 
An  ocean  marge,  weed-strewn  and  foam-besprent; 

And  the  waves  dashed  on  idle  sand  and  stone, 

And  very  vacant  was  the  long,  blue  sea; 
But  in  the  evening  as  I  sat  alone, 

89 


[V-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

My  window  open  to  the  vanishing  day, 
Dear  God !   I  could  not  choose  but  kneel  and  pray, 
And  it  sufficed  that  I  was  found  of  Thee."  l 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

Why  do  most  people  find  it  hard  to  pray? 

In  how  far  are  the  types  of  hindrances  -which  prevent  com- 
munion with  God  peculiar  to  the  "realm  of  religion"? 

What  is  necessary  to  be  able  to  enjoy  a  sunset,  a  painting, 
or  a  musical  symphony?  Can  any  but  a  technical  expert 
really  enjoy  these?  To  what  extent  do  these  conclusions 
apply  to  enjoying  communion  with  God? 

Can  a  man  without  an  appreciation  of  nature,  art  and  intel- 
lectual integrity  fully  commune  with  God?  How  far  is  the 
completeness  of  such  communion  dependent  upon  the  range 
of  human  interests  and  experiences? 

In  the  light  of  the  above  questions,  to  what  extent  are 
"spiritual"  qualifications  essential  only  to  "religious"  experi- 
ences ? 

How  do  the  hindrances  to  human  friendship  differ  from  the 
hindrances  to  communion  with  God? 

In    the    light   of   Jesus'   teachings,   what   are    the   principal 
hindrances  to  prayer  in  the  realm  of  character? 

Where  first  shall  we  look  for  hindrances  to  communion 
with  God? 

What  dependence  is  to  be  placed  upon  "favorable  moods"? 

In  the  general  enterprises  of  human  life,  how  much  allow- 
ance is  made  for  favorable  moods? 

How  far  is  special  application  necessary  if  advantage  is 
to  be  taken  of  such  moods?  What  is  the  relation  of  favor- 
able moods  to  prayer?  What  light  does  the  Transfiguration 
throw  on  this? 

What  relation   has  a  man's  temperament   to   his  ability   to 
achieve  reality  in  prayer? 


>Edward  Dowden. 

90 


HINDRANCES  AND  DIFFICULTIES         [V-s] 

How  far  is  reality  in  prayer  possible  to  people  with  other 
than  a  mystical  temperament?  What  proportion  of  prayers 
recorded  in  the  Bible  are  the  prayers  of  mystics?  What 
proportion  in  later  history? 

To  what  degree  must  the  form  of  prayer  be  determined 
by  the  type  of  personality?  What  answer  would  the  Bible 
record  of  prayers  suggest? 

What  prevalent  attitudes  among  the  people  make  the  con- 
sciousness of  God's  presence  well-nigh  impossible?  How 
can  these  attitudes  be  overcome? 

How  can  the  hindrances  to  prayer  in  the  life  of  any  particular 
indizridual  be  overcome? 


CHAPTER  VI 

Prayer  and  the  Reign  of  Law 

DAILY  READINGS 
First  Day,  Sixth  Week 

The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God; 

And  the  firmament  showeth  his  handiwork. 

Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech, 

And  night  unto  night  showeth  knowledge. 

There  is  no  speech  nor  language; 

Their  voice  is  not  heard. 

Their   line   is   gone   out   through   all   the   earth, 

And  their  words  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

In  them  hath  he  set  a  tabernacle  for  the  sun, 

Which  is  as  a  bridegroom  coming  out  of  his  chamber, 

And  rejoiceth  as  a  strong  man  to  run  his  course. 

His  going  forth  is  from  the  end  of  the  heavens, 

And  his  circuit  unto  the  ends  of  it; 

And  there  is  nothing  hid  from  the  heat  thereof. 

— Psalm  19: 1-6. 

Consider  the  ease  with  which  the  Psalmist  here  ascribes 
all  the  activities  of  the  heavens  to  the  direct  influence  of 
God.  The  idea  of  natural  law  has  not  gotten  between  him 
and  the  Creator;  whenever  the  sun  comes  up  or  the  stars 
appear  he  feels  that  God  is  doing  it.  Now  it  may  still  be 
true,  as  Mr.  Chesterton  remarks,  that  each  morning  God 
says  to  the  sun,  "Get  up,  do  it  again !"  but  it  is  difficult  for 
most  people  to  imagine  that.  The  sun  seems  to  run  itself  by 
law;  everything  seems  to  run  itself,  so  that  in  the  modern 
mind  this  psalm  is  unconsciously  changed  until  it  reads, 
"The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  law."  In  the  weekly 
comment  we  shall  consider  the  unreasonableness  of  this 
negation  of  religious  faith  which  our  modern  scientific  knowl- 

92 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-2] 

edge  has  caused  in  many,  but  in  the  daily  readings  let  us 
note  the  ways  in  which  our  new  information  about  natural 
law  practically  affects  us.  Does  it  not,  as  we  have  today 
suggested,  seem  to  push  God  away  off?  The  world  looks 
like  a  great  machine,  self-running  and  self-regulating,  with 
God  a  very  distant  Sustainer,  if  he  is  anywhere  at  all. 
Thomas  Hood  put  the  feeling  into  a  familiar  verse: 

"I  remember,  I  remember 

The  fir-trees  dark  and  high; 
I   used   to   think   their    slender   tops 

Were  close  against  the   sky. 
It  was  a  childish   ignorance, 

But  now  'tis  little  joy 
To  know  I'm  further  off  from  heaven 

Than  when  I  was  a  boy." 

O  God,  we  thank  Thee  for  this  universe,  our  great  home; 
for  its  vastness  and  its  riches,  and  for  the  manifoldness  of 
the  life  which  teems  upon  it  and  of  which  we  are  part.  We 
praise  Thee  for  the  arching  sky  and  the  blessed  winds,  for  the 
driving  clouds  and  the  constellations  on  high.  We  praise 
Thee  for  the  salt  sea  and  the  running  water,  for  the  ever- 
lasting hills,  for  the  trees,  and  for  the  grass  under  our  feet. 
We  thank  Thee  for  our  senses  by  which  we  can  see  the 
splendor  of  the  morning,  and  hear  the  jubilant  songs  of  love, 
and  smell  the  breath  of  the  springtime.  Grant  us,  we  pray 
Thee,  a  heart  wide  open  to  all  this  joy  and  beauty,  and  save 
our  souls  from  being  so  steeped  in  care  or  so  darkened  by 
passion  that  we  pass  heedless  and  unseeing  when  even  the 
thornbush  by  the  wayside  is  aflame  with  the  glory  of  God. 
— Walter  Rauschenbusch. 

Second  Day,  Sixth  Week 

O  Jehovah,  thou  hast  searched  me,  and  known  me. 

Thou  knowest  my   downsitting   and  mine   uprising; 

Thou  understandest  my  thought  afar  off. 

Thou  searchest  out  my  path  and  my  lying  down, 

And  art  acquainted  with  all  my  ways. 

For  there  is  not  a  word  in  my  tongue, 

But,  lo,  O  Jehovah,  thou  knowest  it  altogether. 

Thou  hast  beset  me  behind  and  before, 

93 


[VI-2]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

And  laid  thy  hand  upon  me. 

Such   knowledge  is   too   wonderful  for  me; 

It  is  high,  I  cannot  attain  unto  it. 

Whither  shall  I  go  from  thy  Spirit? 

Or  whither  shall  I  flee  from  thy  presence? 

If  I  ascend  up  into  heaven,  thou  art  there; 

If  I  make   my  bed  in   Sheol,  behold,   thou   art   there. 

If  I  take  the  wings  of  the  morning, 

And  dwell  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea; 

Even  there  shall  thy  hand  lead  me. — Psalm   139:1-10. 

In  contrast  with  this  Psalmist's  sense  of  God's  immediate 
presence,  the  reign  of  law  not  only  seems  to  push  God  away 
off ;  it  pushes  him  away  back  into  history.  He  becomes  nothing 
more  than  a  hypothesis  to  explain  how  the  universe  hap- 
pened to  exist  in  the  first  place.  In  President  Faunce's 
figure,  men  think  of  God  as  an  engineer  who  started  this 
locomotive  of  a  world,  pulled  the  throttle  wide  open,  and  then 
leaped  from  the  cab;  and  the  world  has  been  running  its 
own  unguided  course  ever  since  on  the  rails  of  law. 

This  does  not  simply  make  impossible  the  spiritual  faith 
which  glows  in  our  Scripture  passage ;  it  violates  every 
canon  of  sound  thinking.  It  is  childish.  It  is  on  a  par  with 
the  belief  of  the  Piedmontese  peasant,  of  whom  Benjamin 
Constant  tells.  He  thought  that  the  world  was  made  by  a 
God  who  had  died  before  his  work  was  completed.  Con- 
sider whether  your  prayers  have  been  hindered  by  the  subtle 
influence  of  this  idea  of  God.  Before  men  can  really  pray, 
God  must  be  seen  as  the  present  living  God — whose  ways  of 
action  we  partially  have  plotted  and  called  laws. 

O  Lord,  our  God,  we  desire  to  feel  Thee  near  us  in  spirit 
and  in  body  at  this  time.  We  know  that  in  Thee  we  live 
and  move  and  have  our  being,  but  we  are  cast  down  and 
easily  disquieted,  and  we  wander  in  many  a  sad  wilderness 
where  we  lose  the  conscious  experience  of  Thy  presence. 
Yet  the  deepest  yearning  of  our  hearts  is  unto  Thee.  As 
the  hart  panteth  after  the  waterbrooks,  so  pant  our  souls 
after  Thee,  O  God.  Nothing  less  than  Thyself  can  still  the 
hunger,  or  quench  the  thirst  with  which  Thou  hast  inspired 
us.  Power  of  our  souls!  enter  Thou  into  them  and  fit  them 
for  Thyself,  making  them  pure  with  Christ's  purity,  loving 
and  lovable  with  His  love. — Samuel  McComb. 

94 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-3] 

Third  Day,  Sixth  Week 

And  in  like  manner  the  Spirit  also  helpeth  our  infirmity: 
for  we  know  not  how  to  pray  as  we  ought;  but  the 
Spirit  himself  maketh  intercession  for  us  with  groanings 
which  cannot  be  uttered;  and  he  that  searcheth  the  hearts 
knoweth  what  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  because  he 
maketh  intercession  for  the  saints  according  to  the  will 
of  God.  And  we  know  that  to  them  that  love  God  all 
things  work  together  for  good,  even  to  them  that  are 
called  according  to  his  purpose. — Romans  8:26-28. 

Note  the  connection  of  thought  here  between  prayer,  and 
belief  in  the  controlling  providence  of  God  that  makes  all 
things  work  together  for  good  to  those  that  love  him.  Is 
not  this  connection  vital?  Unless  God's  providence  does 
control,  so  that  he  is  now  at  work  in  the  world  shaping 
events  and  moulding  men,  what  is  the  use  of  praying?  But 
just  here  is  one  of  our  modern  perplexities.  The  reign  of 
law  seems  to  rule  out  the  activity  of  Providence.  When  we 
were  children,  many  of  us  doubtless  prayed  as  Florence 
Nightingale  said  she  did.  "When  I  was  young,"  she  writes, 
"I  could  not  understand  what  people  meant  by  'their  thoughts 
wandering  in  prayer.'  I  asked  for  what  I  really  wished,  and 
really  wished  for  what  I  asked.  And  my  thoughts  wandered 
no  more  than  those  of  a  mother  would  wander,  who  was 
supplicating  her  Sovereign  for  her  son's  reprieve  from  execu- 
tion. ...  I  liked  the  morning  service  much  better  than  the 
afternoon,  because  we  asked  for  more  things.  ...  I  was 
always  miserable  if  I  was  not  at  church  when  the  Litany  was 
said.  How  ill-natured  it  is,  if  you  believe  in  prayer,  not  to 
ask  for  everybody  what  they  want.  ...  I  could  not  pray  for 
George  IV.  I  thought  the  people  very  good  who  prayed  for 
him,  and  wondered  whether  he  could  have  been  much  worse 
if  he  had  not  been  prayed  for.  William  IV  I  prayed  for  a 
little.  But  when  Victoria  came  to  the  throne,  I  prayed  for 
her  in  a  rapture  of  feeling  and  my  thoughts  never  wandered." 

What  is  it  that  has  changed  this  childlike  spirit  in  our 
prayers?  Is  it  not  our  increasing  knowledge  of  the  reign  of 
natural  law?  So  Miss  Nightingale  came  to  say  in  contrast 
with  her  childhood's  point  of  view,  "God's  scheme  for  us  is 
not  that  he  should  give  us  what  we  ask  for,  but  that  man- 
kind should  obtain  it  for  mankind."  Consider  the  people 

95 


[VI-4]  THE  MEANING  Of  PRAYER 

whom  you  know  who  have  altogether  given  up  praying  for 
this  same  reason. 

Almighty  God,  of  Thy  fulness  grant  to  us  who  need  so 
much,  who  lack  so  much,  who  have  so  little,  wisdom  and 
strength.  Bring  our  wills  unto  Thine.  Lift  our  understand- 
ings into  Thy  heavenly  light;  that  we  thereby  beholding 
those  things  which  are  right,  and  being  drawn  by  Thy  love, 
may  bring  our  will  and  our  understanding  together  to  Thy 
service,  until  at  last,  body  and  soul  and  spirit  may  be  all 
Thine,  and  Thou  be  our  Father  and  our  Eternal  Friend. 
Amen. — George  Dawson  (1821-1876). 

Fourth  Day,  Sixth  Week 

Bless  Jehovah,  O  my  soul. 

O  Jehovah,  my  God,  thou  art  very  great; 

Thou  art  clothed  with  honor  and  majesty: 

Who    coverest    thyself   with    light    as    with    a    garment; 

Who   stretchest   out  the  heavens   like  a   curtain; 

Who  layeth  the  beams  of  his  chambers  in  the  waters; 

Who  maketh  the  clouds  his  chariot; 

Who  walketh  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind; 

Who  maketh  winds  his  messengers; 

Flames  of  fire  his  ministers; 

Who  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth, 

That  it  should  not  be  moved  for  ever. 

Thou  coveredst  it  with  the  deep  as  with  a  vesture; 

The  waters  stood  above  the  mountains. 

At  thy  rebuke  they  fled; 

At  the  voice  of  thy  thunder  they  hasted  away 

(The   mountains   rose,   the   valleys   sank   down) 

Unto  the  place  which  thou  hadst  founded  for  them. 

Thou  hast  set  a  bound  that  they  may  not  pass  over; 

That  they  turn  not  again  to  cover  the  earth. 

He  sendeth  forth  springs  into  the  valleys; 

They  run  among  the  mountains; 

They  give  drink  to  every  beast  of  the  field; 

The  wild  asses  quench  their  thirst. 

By  them  the  birds  of  the  heavens  have  their  habitation; 

They    sing    among    the    branches. — Psalm    104: 1-12. 

Read  the  entire  Psalm,  a  glowing  expression  of  faith  in 
the  controlling  presence  of  God  in  his  world.  Now  in  our 
day  many  are  troubled  in  their  endeavor  to  share  such  a 

96 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-s] 

faith,  because  the  reign  of  law  suggests  that  any  help  from 
God  would  involve  a  miracle,  an  intervention  in  the  regular, 
natural  order.  How  can  God  shape  the  course  of  nature  and 
human  history  without  interfering  with  law?  But  consider 
that  what  we  call  a  miracle  need  not  involve  at  all  a  break 
in  any  law.  Plant  a  pebble  and  a  seed  side  by  side.  The 
law  of  the  pebble  is  to  lie  dead;  the  law  of  the  seed  is  to 
grow.  If  therefore  the  pebble  could  see  the  seed  sprouting, 
how  certainly  it  would  lift  its  pebble  hands  in  astonishment 
and  cry,  "A  miracle !"  But  no  law  is  broken  there.  There 
and  everywhere  else,  what  is  called  miracle  is  not  a  rupture 
of  law ;  it  is  the  fulfilling  of  a  larger  and  higher  law  than 
we  have  yet  understood.  God's  providence  never  has  and 
never  does  involve  breaking  his  laws;  it  means  that  we  are 
as  little  acquainted  with  all  the  resources  of  the  spiritual 
universe  as  a  pebble  is  with  the  resources  of  a  plant,  and 
that  God  guides  the  course  of  events  by  means  of  laws, 
some  of  which  are  known  to  us  and  some  unknown.  Remem- 
ber that  natural  law  is  nothing  but  man's  statement  of  how 
things  regularly  happen,  so  far  as  he  has  been  able  to  observe 
them.  What  looks  like  a  miracle  to  man  is  no  miracle  to 
God.  To  him  it  is  as  natural  as  sunrise. 

O  Lord  God,  in  whom  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our 
being,  open  our  eyes  that  we  may  behold  Thy  Fatherly 
presence  ever  about  us.  Draw  our  hearts  to  Thee  with  the 
power  of  Thy  love.  Teach  us  to  be  anxious  for  nothing, 
and  when  we  have  done  what  Thou  hast  given  us  to  do, 
help  us,  O  God  our  Saviour,  to  leave  the  issue  to  Thy  wis- 
dom. Take  from  us  all  doubt  and  mistrust.  Lift  our  thoughts 
up  to  Thee  in  heaven,  and  make  us  to  know  that  all  things 
are  possible  to  us  through  Thy  Son  our  Redeemer.  Amen. 
— Bishop  Westcott. 

Fifth  Day,  Sixth  Week 

It  is  he  that  sitteth  above  the  circle  of  the  earth,  and 
the  inhabitants  thereof  are  as  grasshoppers;  that  stretch- 
eth  out  the  heavens  as  a  curtain,  and  spreadeth  them 
out  as  a  tent  to  dwell  in;  that  bringeth  princes  to  nothing; 
that  maketh  the  judges  of  the  earth  as  vanity.  Yea, 
they  have  not  been  planted;  yea,  they  have  not  been 
sown;  yea,  their  stock  hath  not  taken  root  in  the  earth: 

97 


[VI-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

moreover  he  bloweth  upon  them,  and  they  wither,  and 
the  whirlwind  taketh  them  away  as  stubble.  To  whom 
then  will  ye  liken  me,  that  I  should  be  equal  to  him? 
saith  the  Holy  One.  Lift  up  your  eyes  on  high,  and  see 
who  hath  created  these,  that  bringeth  out  their  host  by 
number;  he  calleth  them  all  by  name;  by  the  greatness 
of  his  might,  and  for  that  he  is  strong  in  power,  not  one 
is  lacking. — Isaiah  40:22-26. 

The  central  trouble  in  the  religious  thinking  of  many 
people  lies  here :  the  new  knowledge  of  the  universe  has 
made  their  childish  thoughts  of  God  inadequate,  and  instead 
of  getting  a  worthier  and  larger  idea  of  God  to  meet  the 
new  need,  they  give  up  all  vital  thought  about  God  whatso- 
ever. We  can  feel  Isaiah  in  this  fortieth  chapter  reaching 
out  for  as  great  a  conception  of  God  as  he  can  compass, 
because  the  situation  demands  it.  Our  modern  situation  calls 
for  the  same  outreach  of  mind.  This  is  the  truth  behind 
Sam  Foss's  poem : 

"A  boy  was  born  'mid  little  things, 
Between  a  little  world  and  sky, 
And  dreamed  not  of  the  cosmic  rings 
'Round  which  the  circling  planets  fly. 

"He  lived  in  little  works  and  thoughts, 
Where  little  ventures  grow  and  plod, 
And  paced  and  ploughed  his  little  plots, 
And  prayed  unto  his  little  God. 

"But,  as  the  mighty  system  grew, 

His  faith  grew  faint  with  many  scars ; 
The  cosmos  widened  in  his  view, 
But  God  was  lost  among  his  stars. 

"Another  boy   in  lowly  days, 

As  he,  to  little  things  was  born, 

But  gathered  lore  in  woodland   ways, 

And  from  the  glory  of  the  morn. 

"As  wider  skies  broke  on  his  view, 

God  greatened  in  his  growing  mind ; 
Each  year  he  dreamed  his  God  anew, 
And  left  his  older  God  behind. 

98 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-6J 

"He  saw  the  boundless  scheme  dilate, 

In  star  and  blossom,   sky  and  clod; 
And,  as  the  universe  grew  great, 
He  dreamed  for  it  a  greater  God." 

O  God  our  Father,  who  dost  exhort  us  to  pray,  and  who 
dost  grant  what  we  ask,  if  only,  when  we  ask,  we  live  oi 
better  life;  hear  me,  who  am  trembling  in  this  darkness, 
and  stretch  forth  Thy  hand  unto  me;  hold  forth  Thy  light 
before  me;  recall  me  from  my  wanderings;  and,  Thou  being 
my  Guide,  may  I  be  restored  to  myself  and  to  Thee,  through 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen. — St.  Augustine  (354-430). 

Sixth  Day,  Sixth  Week 

For  though  the  fig-tree  shall  not  flourish, 
Neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vines; 
The  labor  of  the  olive  shall  fail* 
And  the  fields  shall  yield  no  food; 
The  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold, 
And  there  shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stalls: 
Yet  I  will  rejoice  in  Jehovah, 
I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation. 

— Habakkuk   3: 17,    18. 

We  have  noted  five  effects  that  knowledge  of  the  reign  of 
law  has  on  modern  minds :  it  pushes  God  away  off ;  pushes 
him  away  back;  makes  his  special  help  seem  impossible; 
suggests  that  any  providential  aid  would  involve  a  miracle; 
and  finally  makes  our  immature,  childish  ideas  of  him  in- 
adequate. But  now  supposing  that  all  of  these  were  over- 
come, and  that  like  Habakkuk,  a  man  believed  thoroughly  in 
the  providential  control  of  a  living  God  in  his  world — note  the 
lack  of  presumption  with  which  he  uses  his  faith.  The 
forces  of  nature  are  in  the  hands  of  God,  but  the  prophet 
does  not  immodestly  demand  that  they  shall  be  used  in 
accordance  with  human  desire.  It  may  even  be  that  they 
bring  dire  trouble  on  him,  as  the  seventeenth  verse  pictures  ; 
yet  he  does  not  doubt  the  guidance  of  God  in  the  world. 
Consider  the  importance  of  this  attitude  for  prayer.  Belief 
in  God's  providence  is  not  to  be  confused  with  the  arrogant 
assumption  that  that  providence  must  be  exercised  as  we 
wish.  One  summer  in  England  when  the  clergy  were  ve- 

99 


[VI-7]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

hemently  praying  for  dry  weather,  Charles  Kingsley  refused 
to  do  so.  "How  do  we  know,"  he  said  in  a  sermon,  "that  in 
praying  God  to  take  away  these  rains,  we  are  not  asking 
him  to  send  the  cholera  in  the  year  to  come?  I  am  of 
opinion  that  we  are  .  .  .  Now,  perhaps  you  may  understand 
better  why  I  said  that  I  was  afraid  of  being  presumptuous 
in  praying  for  fine  weather." 

O  Thou,  who  givest  liberally  unto  all  men  and  upbraidest 
not,  give  to  this,  Thy  servant,  the  desire  of  his  heart.  Thou 
knowest  his  inward  and  outward  state.  Whatever  it  be  that 
holds  him  back  from  self -surrender  unto  Thee,  grant  that 
it  may  be  taken  out  of  the  way,  that  there  may  be  a  free 
and  open  intercourse  between  him  and  Thee.  May  he  be 
willing  to  trust  where  he  cannot  prove;  willing  to  believe  his 
better  moments  in  spite  of  all  that  contradicts  them.  Open 
his  eyes  to  see  Thee  as  Thou  art,  infinitely  real,  infinitely 
gracious,  infinitely  good.  Speak  to  him  in  the  daily  witness 
of  earth  and  sky;  in  the  goodness  and  tender  mercy  of 
human  hearts;  above  all,  in  the  words  and  works  of  Thy 
perfect  Son  in  whom  Thou  hast  spoken  the  "everlasting 
yea"  that  puts  to  night  our  every  care.  Take  from  him  all 
dread  of  evils  that  may  never  happen.  Grant  him  the  victory 
over  every  besetting  doubt;  and  patience  while  any  darkness 
remains,  that  he  may  glorify  Thee,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.  Amen. — Samuel  McComb. 


Seventh  Day,  Sixth  Week 

I   will  give  thee  thanks  with  my  whole  heart: 

Before  the  gods  will  I  sing  praises  unto  thee. 

I   will  worship  toward  thy  holy  temple, 

And  give  thanks  unto  thy  name  for  thy  lovingkindness 

and  for  thy  truth: 

For  thou  hast  magnified  thy  word  above  all  thy  name. 
In  the  day  that  I  called  thou  answeredst  me, 
Thou  didst  encourage  me  with  strength  in  my  soul  .  .  . 
Though  I  walk  in  the  midst  of  trouble,  thou  wilt  revive 

me; 
Thou  wilt  stretch  forth  thy  hand  against  the  wrath  of 

mine  enemies, 

And  thy  right  hand  will  save  me. 

100 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-;] 

Jehovah  will  perfect  that  which  concerneth  me: 
Thy  lovingkindness,   O   Jehovah,   endureth  for  ever. 

— Psalm   138: 1-3,   7,  8. 

Note  the  joyful  certainty  with  which  this  Psalmist  testifies 
to  the  effect  of  prayer  on  his  own  life.  With  all  the  puzzles 
that  perplex  our  thought  when  we  try  to  pray  that  God  will 
change  outward  circumstances,  this  inward  realm  where 
prayer  is  continually  efficacious  remains  undisturbed.  Read 
thoughtfully  this  testimony  from  Henry  M.  Stanley,  the 
African  explorer :  "To  relate  a  little  of  the  instances  in  my 
life  wherein  I  have  been  grateful  for  the  delicate  monitions 
of  an  inner  voice,  recalling  me,  as  it  were,  to  'my  true  self,' 
it  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  do  their  importance  justice. 
I,  for  one,  must  not,  dare  not,  say  that  prayers  are  ineffi- 
cacious. Where  I  have  been  earnest,  I  have  been  answered. 
...  In  the  conduct  of  the  various  expeditions  into  Africa, 
prayer  for  patience  has  enabled  me  to  view  my  savage 
opponents  in  a  humorous  light;  sometimes  with  infinite  com- 
passion for  their  madness.  .  .  .  Without  prayer  for  it,  I 
doubt  that  I  could  have  endured  the  flourish  of  the  spears 
when  they  were  but  half-a-dozen  paces  off.  .  .  .  On  all  my 
expeditions  prayer  made  me  stronger,  morally  and  mentally, 
than  any  of  my  non-praying  companions.  It  did  not  blind 
my  eyes,  or  dull  my  mind,  or  close  my  ears;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  it  gave  me  confidence.  It  did  more;  it  gave  me 
joy  and  pride  in  my  work,  and  lifted  me  hopefully  over  the 
one  thousand  five  hundred  miles  of  forest  tracks,  eager  to 
face  the  day's  perils  and  fatigues." 

Eternal  God,  lead  us  into  the  blessedness  of  the  mystery 
of  communion  with  Thee.  Bow  our  spirits  in  deepest  rever- 
ence before  Thee,  yet  uplift  us  into  a  sense  of  kinship.  Send 
the  spirit  of  Thy  Son  into  our  hearts,  crying  "Abba,  Father," 
that  all  unworthy  fear  may  be  banished  by  the  gladness  of 
Thy  perfect  love.  Thy  love  is  like  the  luminous  heaven, 
receiving  only  to  purify  the  foulest  breath  of  earth.  Thy 
gentleness  is  like  the  sun,  seeking  to  cheer  and  warm  the 
chilled  hearts  of  men.  Touch  us,  O  our  Father,  with  a 
feeling  of  Thy  great  realities,  for  though  our  thought  about 
Thee  is  better  than  our  words,  our  experience  of  Thee  is 
better  than  our  thought. — Samuel  McComb. 

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[VI-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 


One  element  in  communion  with  God  has  so  far  been  kept 
in  the  background  of  our  discussion.  Prayer  is  conversation, 
but  generally  it  is  not  merely  conversation  for  conversation's 
sake.  Sometimes  we  talk  with  our  friends  for  the  sheer  joy 
of  talking,  but  sometimes  we  talk  because  we  want  something. 
So  communion  with  God  is  commonly  motived  by  desire ;  the 
element  of  petition  belongs  by  nature  to  the  tendency  which 
has  led  all  men  to  pray.  Now,  as  soon  as  petition  enters 
into  a  man's  prayers,  he  is  likely  to  run  against  an  obstacle 
that  seems  very  formidable.  He  comes  face  to  face  with 
the  reign  of  law,  as  modern  knowledge  has  revealed  it. 

In  a  world  where  there  is  a  cause  for  every  effect  and  an 
effect  for  every  cause,  where  each  event  is  intermeshed  with 
every  other  and  all  move  by  inevitable  consequence  from 
what  has  gone  before,  it  seems  absurd  to  expect  God  to 
change  anything  in  answer  to  our  call.  Men  feel  this  when 
they  consider  the  vastness  of  the  universe  throughout  which 
the  unbroken  reign  of  law  obtains.  If  the  ring  upon  a  girl's 
finger  be  taken  as  the  orbit  of  the  earth,  180,000,000  miles  in 
diameter,  the  nearest  fixed  star  is  twenty  miles  away ;  and 
the  mass  of  the  heavenly  bodies  scores  of  hundreds  of  miles 
beyond  that,  and  throughout  the  whole  expanse  law  is 
absolute.  Or  if  one  looks  at  near-by  things  to  rest  his 
thought  from  such  iron  regularity,  he  finds  no  comfort  there. 
Of  all  snow-crystals  that  ever  fell,  there  have  been  no  angles 
of  crystallization  in  their  filaments  except  60°  and  120°.  The 
wind  is  as  obedient  to  law  as  is  a  falling  stone;  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  air  is  as  much  a  creature  of  cause  and  effect  as 
is  the  rising  sun;  and  the  rays  of  radium,  infinitesimally 
minute  and  so  swift  that  one  could  encompass  the  earth 
thrice  in  a  single  second  and  still  have  time  to  spare,  are 
as  regular  in  their  law-abiding  ways  as  an  eclipse. 

Indeed,  if  one  look  within  himself,  in  hope  of  evading 
law,  he  fails.  The  mind's  operations  too  are  controlled  by 
laws,  and  the  psychologists  are  plotting  them  with  increasing 
accuracy.  The  conviction  irresistibly  claims  our  assent  that 
nothing  happens  anywhere  contrary  to  law.  The  conditions 
which  cause  an  Aurora  Borealis  are  not  fully  known,  but  no 
one  doubts  that  the  conditions  exist,  and  that  if  they  fail 

102 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-c] 

by  the  least  degree  an  Aurora  cannot  he  conjured  up  by  all 
the  prayers  of  all  the  saints  on  earth.  Definite  petition  to 
God  in  such  a  world  seems  absurd,  lo  many  even  com- 
munion with  God  grows  difficult,  so  lost  is  he  in  the  maze 
of  law.  Job's  cry  gains  strength  a  thousand  fold  today — "O 
that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  him!"  (Job  23:3).  As  for 
the  demand  that  we  continue  to  pray  without  understanding, 
self-respect  rebels.  Otway's  words  in  "Venice  Preserved," 
though  written  in  1682,  have  a  contemporary  ring  in  them : 

"You  want  to  lead 

My  reason  blindfold  like  a  hampered  lion, 
Check'd  of  his  noble  vigour — then,  when  baited 
Down  to  obedient  tameness,  may  it  couch 
And  show  strange  tricks  which  you  call  signs  of  faith." 

In  this  special  difficulty  men  are  often  disappointed  because 
the  Bible  does  not  directly  help.  Dr.  McFadyen  clearly  states 
the  truth  of  the  matter — "Just  as  the  Bible  assumes  the 
existence  of  God,  so  it  also  assumes  the  naturalness  of 
prayer.  It  does  not  answer,  and,  for  the  most  part  does 
not  even  raise  the  problems  which  bear  so  heavily  upon  edu- 
cated men  today."  In  the  Bible  there  is  no  difficulty  in  the 
way  of  fleece  on  the  same  night  becoming  both  wet  and  dry 
(Judges  6:  37ff)  ;  the  sun  may  stop  or  proceed  (Josh.  10:  13), 
the  shadow  on  the  sun  dial  go  forwards  or  backwards  (Isaiah 
38:  8)  ;  the  axe  head  may  sink  or  float  (II  Kings  6:  5ff)  ;  and 
the  prison  doors  may  open  without  human  help  (Acts  5:  19). 
Like  all  people  of  the  generations  during  which  the  Bible 
was  being  written,  the  writers  of  Scripture  for  the  most  part 
described  events  in  terms  of  miracle  and  not  of  law. 

But  this  biblical  assumption  that  prayer  is  entirely  natural, 
and  this  description  of  the  results  of  prayer  in  verms  of 
miracle,  rather  increase  than  allay  the  perplexity  of  many 
Christians.  "This  world  of  the  Bible  is  not  our  world," 
they  cry  in  doubt.  "Show  us  a  single  place  in  the  world  in 
which  we  live,  where  we  cannot  depend  for  certain  on 
nature's  regularity.  We  predict  sunrise  and  sunset  to  the 
second  and  they  never  fail.  We  plot  the  course  of  the  planets 
and  they  are  never  late.  The  achievements  of  our  modern 
world  rest  on  the  discovery  that  we  can  rely  on  the  same 
things  happening  under  the  same  conditions,  always  and 

103 


[VI-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

everywhere.  When  we  figure  strain  on  a  bridge  we  know 
that  the  laws  of  mechanics  will  not  shift  overnight.  Indeed, 
the  marvel  of  our  present  age  is  symbolized  by  the  English 
astronomers,  going  out  to  Africa  to  study  an  eclipse,  and 
standing  at  last  on  the  veldt  beside  their  instruments.  'Now,' 
said  one,  watch  in  hand,  'if  we  have  made  no  mistake  in 
our  calculations,  the  eclipse  should  begin  at  once.'  On  the 
instant  the  shadow  of  the  moon  pushed  its  edge  over  the  rim 
of  the  sun !  What  is  the  use  of  praying  in  a  world  like  that? 
— 'Stern  as  fate,  absolute  as  tyranny,  merciless  as  death ;  too 
vast  to  praise,  too  inexorable  to  propitiate;  it  has  no  ear  for 
prayer,  no  heart  for  sympathy,  no  arm  to  save.' " 

No  one  needs  to  travel  far  to  discover  men  whose  religious 
thinking  has  stumbled  over  this  difficulty.  It  is,  therefore, 
important  thus  early  in  our  discussion  to  see  clearly  that 
natural  law  is  not  at  all  what  superficial  thinking  makes  it 
appear  to  be.  Dealing  with  the  reign  of  law  is  like  going 
through  the  Simplon  tunnel.  Go  a  little  way  and  one  has 
darkness  and  imprisonment.  Go  a  little  further  and  one 
has  light,  liberty,  and  the  far  stretches  of  the  Italian  hills. 
The  classic  word  of  Bacon  is  nowhere  more  true  than  here — 
"This  I  dare  affirm  in  knowledge  of  nature  that  a  little  natural 
philosophy,  and  the  first  entrance  into  it,  doth  dispose  the 
opinion  to  atheism,  but  on  the  other  side,  much  natural 
philosophy  and  wading  deep  into  it,  will  bring  about  men's 
minds  to  religion." 

II 

We  may  approach  this  deeper  truth  about  "natural  philoso- 
phy" by  remarking  that  the  man  who  believes  in  nature's  inex- 
orable regularity  immune  from  personal  control,  ought  not 
to  expect,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  to  see  water  flow  up 
hill.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  he  can  see  it  any  day. 
Reservoirs  are  built  among  the  mountains  or  pumping  sta- 
tions are  established  and  water  runs  up  hill  and  down  dale 
with  equal  facility  and  seeks  the  topmost  stories  of  the  tallest 
buildings.  And  this  is  the  important  secret  there  revealed — 
Persons  cannot  "violate  the  law  of  gravitation,  but  they  can 
use  the  law-abiding  force  of  gravitation  to  do  what,  without 
their  cooperation,  never  would  occur. 

So  ordinarily  a  heavy  substance  will  not  float  upon  a  lighter 
one.  But  every  day  iron  steamships  plow  the  sea,  and  heavier- 

104 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-c] 

than-air  machines  navigate  the  sky.  Here  too  is  revealed  the 
fact  that  persons  while  they  can  never  break  nor  change 
laws,  can  utilize,  manipulate,  and  combine  the  forces  which 
laws  control  to  do  what  those  forces  by  themselves  would 
not  accomplish.  The  insight  which  takes  from  the  heart  of 
religion  all  fear  of  the  reign  of  law  is  this :  Personality,  even 
in  ourselves,  how  much  more  in  God,  is  the  master  and  not 
merely  the  slave  of  all  law-abiding  forces.  As  Huxley  put  it, 
"The  organized  and  highly  developed  sciences  and  arts  of  the 
present  day  have  endowed  man  with  a  command  over  the 
course  of  non-human  nature  greater  than  that  once  attributed 
to  the  magicians." 

This  truth  underlies  all  our  modern  material  accomplish- 
ments. If  an  engineer  proposed  to  bridge  a  stream,  who 
would  say  to  him :  "It  is  impossible.  The  laws  of  nature 
forbid  hanging  iron  over  air"  ?  He  could  answer :  "I  am 
not  merely  the  slave  of  nature  but  in  part  its  master.  Nature 
can  be  used  as  well  as  obeyed."  And  if  one  insisted  to  the 
contrary,  claiming  that  natural  laws  are  inviolable,  the 
engineer's  reply  is  evident:  "The  inviolability  of  natural  laws 
is  the  beauty  of  them.  They  are  trusty  servants.  They  can 
be  depended  on.  They  are  unwavering  yesterday,  today,  and 
forever.  And  if. you  will  watch,  you  will  see  me  say  to  this 
force,  come,  and  it  will  come;  to  this  force,  go,  and  it  will 
go ;  and  I,  a  person,  will  manipulate  and  utilize  the  law- 
abiding  energies  of  nature,  making  infinitely  varied  combina- 
tions of  invariable  procedures,  until  millions  of  men  shall 
cross  this  river  on  my  bridge." 

Ill 

So  important  is  it  clearly  to  see  the  truth  that  personality, 
even  in  ourselves,  can  work  the  most  unexpected  results,  not 
by  violating  laws,  but  by  using  knowledge  of  them,  that  we 
may  well  approach  it  from  another  angle.  When  men  are 
dismayed  by  the  inflexibility  of  law,  they  are  thinking  of 
cause  and  effect  as  forming  a  rigid  system  in  whose  estab- 
lished order  no  break  can  come.  Now,  we  may  not  enter 
here  into  the  philosophy  of  causation,  but  it  is  worth  noting 
that  in  practical  experience  we  seem  to  be  dealing  with  two 
kinds  of  cause.  When  the  atmospheric  pressure  makes  the 
wind  blow  that  is  one  sort;  when  a  man  sails  by  that  same 

105 


[VI-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

wind,  skilfully  tacking  until  he  reaches  his  destination,  that 
is  another.  In  one  case  we  have  absolutely  predetermined 
procedure ;  in  the  other  we  have  a  personal  will  serving  a 
personal  purpose  by  utilizing  the  predetermined  procedure. 
These  two  kinds  of  cause  seem  everywhere  to  be  at  work. 
When  the  snow  falls  on  the  walk,  its  removal  may  be  effected 
by  natural  causes,  the  sunshine  or  the  rain.  But  its  removal 
may  also  be  effected  by  personal  causes.  A  man  with  an 
ideal  and  a  shovel  may  put  his  shovel  at  the  service  of  his 
ideal  and  clear  the  walk.  Personal  causation  is  everywhere 
in  evidence  and  when  the  reign  of  cause  and  effect  seems 
rigid  and  merciless,  it  is  because  we  forget  how  pliable  law- 
abiding  forces  are  in  the  hands  of  personality.1 

Strange  that  we  should  forget  it !  All  our  human  achieve- 
ments are  illustrations  of  this  truth.  Natural  causes  cannot 
explain  St.  Paul's  Cathedral.  Gravitation  never  cried  to  his 
brethren,  the  forces  of  nature,  "Come,  let  us  conspire  to 
build  a  temple  to  God."  The  cause  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral 
is  personality  utilizing  its  knowledge  of  laws.  Natural  causa- 
tion cannot  explain  the  sonatas  of  Beethoven.  Nothing  could 
be  more  mathematically  exact  than  the  laws  of  sound-vibra- 
tion, but  all  great  music  bears  witness  to  the  power  of 
personality  when  it  uses  its  privilege  of  manipulating  law- 
abiding  sounds.  Natural  causation  may  explain  the  straits 
of  Gibraltar,  but  it  cannot  explain  the  Panama  Canal.  Per- 
sonal cause  alone  can  account  for  that. 

"A  man  went  down  to  Panama 
Where  many  a  man  had  died, 

To  slit  the  sliding  mountains 
And  lift  the  eternal  tide. 

A  man  stood  up  in  Panama, 
And  the  mountains  stood  aside." 

One  of  the  most  liberating  conceptions  that  can  come  to 
any  mind  is  this  perception  that  law-abiding  forces  can  be 
made  the  servants  of  personal  will.  The  only  possibility  of 
denying  this  truth  lies  in  a  theory  of  absolute  determinism 
that  makes  the  whole  world  a  material  machine  with  person- 
ality a  helpless  cog  in  the  wheels.  Grant,  even  in  the  least 

1  One  of  the  best  philosophic  statements  of  this  truth  will  be  found  in  Prof. 
G.  H.  Palmer's  "  The  Problem  of  Freedom." 

106 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-c] 

degree,  what  experience  asserts  and  the  greatest  philosophies 
confirm,  the  truth  of  individual  initiative ;  and  we  have  a 
new  element  in  the  reign  of  cause  and  effect— namely  per- 
sonal causation.  {Continually  we  arc  projecting  personal  cause 
into  the  realm  of  natural  causes)  And  when  one  deeply  con- 
siders this,  he  sees  that  what  we  call  natural  cause  may  not 
be  impersonal  cause  at  alf^thaj  our  limited  control  of  iwtZ 
wrsal  forces jnay  be  a  counterpart  of  God's  unlimited  control^ 
Then  all  cause  would  be  personal,  and  all  procedure  that  we 
call  natural  would  be  God's  regular  ways  of  acting.  Neither 
with  God  nor  man  do  cause  and  effect  make  an  iron  system 
in  which  personality  is  enslaved.  Rather  they  present  to 
personality  a  reliable  instrument  through  which  personal 
freedom  is  continually  expressed. 

IV 

Many  of  the  arguments  against  prayer,  based  on  the  reign 
of  law,  bear  with  exactly  the  same  force  against  any  request 
made  of  an  earthly  friend.  God  cannot  answer  prayer  be- 
cause he  cannot  interfere  with  the  reign  of  law?  Let  us  seel 
A  child  falls  from  an  open  window  and,  badly  hurt,  calls  to 
his  father.  Will  the  father  regret  his  inability  to  help  because 
the  reign  of  law  prevents?  On  the  contrary,  the  father  will 
set  about  using  his  knowledge  of  the  reign  of  law  as  speedily 
as  possible.  He  lifts  the  child  from  the  ground  although 
gravitation  by  itself  would  have  kept  the  child  there.  He 
calls  up  the  hospital  by  telephone  and  in  that  act  uses  a 
combination  of  natural  forces,  put  together  by  personal  will, 
so  wonderful  that  the  thought  of  it  may  well  make  even  a 
modern  man  gasp.  The  ambulance  clangs  down  the  street, 
representing  a  utilization  of  nature  where  knowledge  of 
hundreds  of  invariable  mechanical,  physical,  and  chemical 
laws  has  been  utilized.  The  surgeon  projects  personal  will 
against  the  dead  set  and  certainly  fatal  outcome  of  natural 
causation,  and  the  child  is  saved.  How  many  laws  did  that 
father  violate?  Not  one,  but  he  utilized  knowledge  of  so 
many  that  no  man  can  count  them,  and  he  employed  that 
knowledge  as  the  instrument  of  his  love  in  the  service  of 
his  child. 

Whether,  therefore,  we  consider  the  ways  in  which  men 
subject  natural  processes  to  their  will;  or  the  ways  in  which 

107 


[VI-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

personal  cause  controls  natural  causes ;  or  the  ways  in  which 
we  answer  requests,  not  by  violating  laws  but  by  using  our 
knowledge  of  them,  we  come  to  the  same  conclusion :  per- 
sonality can  control  the  universal  forces  to  serve  personal 
ends.  Scientific  laws  are  human  statements  and  increasingly 
true  statements  of  nature's  invariable  procedures,  but  the 
procedures  are  always  pliable  in  the  hands  of  human  intelli- 
gence and  will.  Do  we  mean  to  say  that  God  is  less  free 
than  we  are?  Are  we,  the  creatures,  in  so  large  measure 
masters  of  law-abiding  forces  and  is  he,  the  Creator,  a  slave 
to  them?  Are  the  universal  powers  plastic  and  usable  in  our 
hands,  and  in  his  hands  stiff  and  rigid!'  The  whole  analogy 
of  human  experience  suggests  that  the  world  is  not  governed 
lyy  taw;  that  IT  is  governed  ay  Uod  according  to  law.  "He 


lentially utilises,   manipulates,   and    combines   his   own 
invariable  ways  of  acting  to  serve  his  own  eternal  purposes. 


Our  fundamental  fallacy  about  God  is  our  thought  of 
him  as  an  artificer,  now  far-off,  who  has  left  this  machine 
of  his  running  by  its  own  laws,  and  who  cannot  do  anything 
with  it  except  by  intervention.  Let  us  banish  so  primitive  a 
picture  of  God,  so  childish  a  conception  of  the  universe !  He 
is  not  far-off.  He  is  the  Indwelling  Presence  in  the  World, 
as  our  life  is  in  our  bodies,  controlling  all.  He  is  the  im- 
manent and  eternal  Creator,  and  the  laws,  some  known  to  us, 
some  unknown,  are  his  ways  of  doing  things.  He  is  not  a 
prisoner  caught  in  the  mechanism  of  his  own  world ;  he  is 
not  reduced  to  the  impotency  of  Louis  Philippe,  "I  reign,  but 
I  do  not  govern."  He  is  free,  more  free  than  we  can  guess, 
to  use  the  forces  he  has  ordained.  Providence  is  possible. 
A  youth  can  deflect  a  brook's  course  from  one  channel  to 
another.  God  can  do  with  any  lite  and  with  tfte  course  oF 
fiiStonf,  what  we  do  with  a  brooE  The  laws  are  all  in 
hisleash.  "  Says  Jesus,  "Not  a  sparrow  shall  fall  on  the 
ground  without  your  Father"  (Matt.  10:29). 

While  the  Bible,  therefore,  does  not  deal  with  the  modern 
problem  of  natural  law,  in  its  reference  to  prayer,  we  still 
may  share  with  the  Bible  that  utter  confidence  in  the  power 
and  willingness  and  liberty  of  God  to  help  his  children,  which 
makes  the  Scriptures  radiant  with  trust  and  hope.  When  the 

108 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-c] 

Bible  says,  "God  hath  spoken  once,  twice  have  I  heard  this, 
that  power  belongeth  unto  God"  (Psalm  62:  n)  ;  or  "Jehovah 
is  my  strength  and  my  shield ;  my  heart  hath  trusted  in  him, 
and  I  am  helped"  (Psalm  28:7);  or  "To  them  that  love 
God  all  things  work  together  for  good"  (Rom.  8:28)  — 
it  is  saying  nothing  that  the  most  thorough  believer  in  the 
reign  of  law  may  not  say  too.  There  are  many  prayers  that 
God  must  not  answer,  but  there  are  no  good  prayers  which 
God  cannot  answer.  He  is  the  master  of  all  laws,  known  to 
us  and  unknown.  When  God  utilizes  his  knowledge  of  his 
own  laws,  who  can  say  in  advance  what  may  happen?  God 
is  free,  so  far  as  the  mere  possibilities  are  concerned,  to 
answer  any  petition  whatsoever;  and  if  a  prayer  is  left  un- 
answered it  is  not  because  the  reign  of  law  prevents.  It  is 
because  there  are  vast  realms  where  God  must  not  substitute 
our  wish  for  his  plan. 

VI 

This  last  statement  deserves  emphasis.  We  may  prefer 
to  nave  the  sun  rise  earlier,  or  to  have  a  dozen  colors  in  the 
spectrum,  or  to  think  without  association  of  ideas,  or  to  sin 
and  not  suffer ;  but  we  may  as  well  spare  our  pains.  God 
does  not  remake  his  world  for  the  asking,  not  because  he 
cannot,  but  because  he  must  not.  It  may  be  convenient  for 
us  to  substitute  rain  for  sunshine  or  sunshine  for  rain,  but  we 
are  likely  to  be  vainly  substituting  presumption  for  faith  when 
we  try  to  control  the  weather.  As  the  old  rabbis  put  it:  A 
mother  had  two  sons,  one  a  gardener  and  the  other  a  potter. 
Said  the  gardener,  "O  mother,  pray  God  for  rain  to  water  my 
plants."  Said  the  potter,  "O  mother,  pray  God  for  sunshine 
to  dry  my  pots."  Now  the  mother  loved  them  equally  well. 
Shall  she  pray  for  rain  or  sun?  Nay,  she  would  best  leave 
it  in  the  hands  of  God. 

When  entire  confidence  has  been  established,  therefore,  in 
the  power  and  liberty  of  God  to  utilize  any  force  at  any 
time,  a  due  humility  will  restrain  us  from  making  a  pre- 
sumptuous application  of  this  truth  to  prayer.  Within  the 
realm  of  personal  relationships  the  effect  of  prayer  is  so 
clear  that  our  faith  in  prayer's  efficacy  has  assured  ground  in 
experience,  but  the  power  of  prayer  to  affect  the  objective 
processes  of  nature  is  incapable  of  scientific  demonstration. 

109 


[VI-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

We  never  can  so  completely  isolate  an  event,  like  a  change 
in  the  weather,  as  to  prove  that  nothing  but  our  prayer  could 
have  caused  it.  To  be  sure  no  man  can  draw  a  clear 
boundary,  saying,  "Within  this  we  may  expect  God  to  use 
his  laws  in  answer  to  our  prayers,  and  without  we  may  look 
for  nothing  of  the  kind."  Professor  Bowne's  word  is  sane 
and  helpful:  "To  pray  about  everything,  in  submission  to 
God's  will,  would  be  both  more  human  and  more  Christian 
than  a  scrupulous  limitation  of  our  prayers  to  what  we  might 
think  permissible  subjects  of  petition." 

But  it  must  be  obvious  that  we  should  never  presumptuously 
demand  the  use  of  natural  forces  in  the  objective  world  to 
serve  our  personal  purpose,  and  then  confidently  expect  our 
prayer  to  work  the  change.  Before  sun  and  rain,  as  Jesus 
said,  the  just  and  unjust  seem  to  fare  alike  (Matt.  5:45). 
Lyman  Beecher's  public  claim  that  the  burning  of  an  un- 
orthodox church  was  due  to  the  special  judgment  of  God  on 
false  doctrine  was  shown  to  be  perilous,  as  well  as  untrue, 
when  the  next  week  Lyman  Beecher's  church  burned  down. 
The  forces  of  the  external  world  are  in  the  hands  of  God 
to  do  with  them  as  he  wishes,  but  that  does  not  necessarily 
mean  that  he  must  do  with  them  as  we  wish.  God  must  not 
surrender  his  sovereignty  on  demand.  It  is  far  better  that 
man  should  learn  the  discipline  of  law  than  be  exempt  for  the 
asking.  Prayer  distinctly  is  not  "a  machine  warranted  by  the 
theologians  to  make  God  do  what  his  clients  want !" 

In  all  our  praying  therefore,  we  need  to  remember  the  dis- 
tinction, to  use  Trumbull's  phrases,  between  "faith  in  prayer" 
and  "prayer  in  faith."  Faith  in  prayer  may  be  presumptuous 
and  clamorous ;  it  may  present  ultimatums  to  the  Almighty 
demanding  his  acquiescence ;  it  may  try  to  make  of  prayer  a 
magic  demand  on  God.  But  prayer  in  faith  asks  everything 
in  entire  submission  to  the  will  of  God.  It  desires  never  to 
force  its  wish  on  the  Eternal  Purpose  but  always  to  align  its 
wish  with  the  Eternal  Purpose.  It  pleads  passionately  for 
its  needs ;  but  it  closes  its  petition,  as  the  Master  did,  "Thy 
will  be  done."  Prayer  in  faith  rejoices  in  God's  sovereignty, 
is  confident  that  all  forces  are  in  his  leash,  and  that  to  those 
who  love  him  all  things  work  together  for  good.  Prayer  thus 
becomes  meaningful  because  God  is  free  to  do  what  he  will 
in  his  world ;  but  prayer  does  not  on  that  account  become  pre- 
sumptuous as  though  God  must  do  what  we  will  in  his  world. 

no 


PRAYER  AND  THE  REIGN  OF  LAW     [VI-c] 


VII 

There  is  a  realm,  however,  where  none  need  be  hesitant 
in  expecting  answer  to  prayer.  Prayer  is  the  law  of  personal 
relationships^  It  is  important  to  see  clearly  that  all  laws  do 
hot  apply  m  all  realms.  Gravitation  for  example  is  not  uni- 
versal; it  obtains  without  exception  in  the  objective  physical 
world,  but  it  does  not  range  up  into  the  personal,  spiritual 
world.  We  come  there  into  a  new  realm  where  we  deal  with 
realities  that  cannot  be  caught  in  test-tubes,  measured  by 
yardsticks,  or  weighed  in  scales.  In  that  new  realm  new  laws 
are  at  work.  Gravitation  cannot  break  up  into  the  world  of 
spirit,  although  spirit  can  break  down  and  use  the  force  of 
gravitation.  Laws  are  thus  arranged  in  regimes.  When  one 
leaves  the  inorganic  world  for  the  organic,  he  leaves  behind 
him  laws  that  are  now  no  longer  applicable ;  when  he  leaves 
the  world  of  plants  for  the  world  of  men,  he  moves  up  to  laws 
that  do  not  concern  plants  but  do  apply  to  men ;  and  in  this 
higher  realm  where  men  deal  with  one  another  and  with 
Gou,  there  are  conditions  of  communion,  laws  of  fellowship 
and  prayer.  One  cannot  imagine  Jesus  asking  for  an  objec- 
tive change  in  the  physical  world,  without  entire  willingness 
to  submit  to  a  negative  answer ;  but  when  he  goes  up  into 
the  mountain  alone  to  commune  with  God,  he  goes  with  abso- 
lute assurance  that  the  strength  and  peace  and  vision  which 
he  needs  will  come.  Personal  relationship  is  the  unique  realm 
of  prayer.  As  one  reads  the  great  prayers  of  the  church 
he  sees  that  in  this  realm  supremely  the  people  of  God  have 
prayed  with  confidence,  have  expected  answer  and  have  not 
been  disappointed. 

"Lord,  what  a  change  within  us  one  short  hour 
Spent  in  Thy  presence  will  avail  to  makel 
What  heavy  burdens  from  our  bosoms  take ; 
What  parched  grounds  refresh,  as  with  a  shower! 
We  kneel,  and  all  around  us  seems  to  lower ; 
We  rise,  and  all  the  distant  and  the  near 
Stands  forth  in  sunny  outline,  brave  and  clear ! 
We  kneel,  how  weak  1  we  rise,  how  full  of  power  I 
Why,  therefore,  should  we  do  ourselves  this  wrong, 
Or  others,  that  we  are  not  always  strong; 
in 


[VI-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

That  we  are  ever  overborne  with  care ; 

That  we  should  ever  weak  or  heartless  be, 
Anxious  or  troubled,  when  with  us  is  prayer, 

And  joy  and  strength  and  courage  are  with  Thee?" 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

//  things  are  going  to  happen  in  any  case  according  to  fixed 
law,  what  is  the  use  in  petitioning  for  change? 

What  effect  does  knowledge  of  the  reign  of  law  have  upon 
a  man's  attitude  toward  prayer? 

How   far    can   personal    volition    control    the    operation    of 
natural  forces? 

What  is  the  difference  between  violating  a  natural  law  and 
using  a  law-abiding  force  to  accomplish  something  which 
would  not  have  happened  in  the  ordinary  course  of  nature? 

How  far  is  the  injection  of  a  personal  will  into  the  opera- 
tion of  natural  laws  a  violation  of  such  laws? 

To  what  degree  is  the  Psalmist's  faith  in  the  controlling 
presence  of  God  in  his  world  justified? 

How  far  could  parents  meet  the  need  of  their  children  if 
they  were  bound  rigidly  by  the  reign  of  law? 

To  what  extent  is  doubt  about  the  possibility  of  answer  to 
prayer  due  to  the  belief  that  it  violates  law,  and  to  what 
extent  to  lack  of  understanding  of  the  operation  of  law? 

How  far  is  confidence  in  God's  control  of  natural  forces 
inconsistent  with  a  belief  in  the  reliability  of  law? 

To  what  extent  does  the  reign  of  law  prevent  the  answer  to 
prayer? 

Are  there  any  prayers  which  God  cannot  answer? 

How  far  is  the  Bible's  confidence  in  the  power  and  willing- 
ness and  liberty  of  God  to  help  his  children  justified? 

How  do  you  think  God's  plans  for  the  world  affect  his 
response  to  individual  prayers? 

What  is  the  difference  between  law  in  the  realm  of  nature 
and  law  in  the  personal,  spiritual  world? 

What  is  the  difference  between  faith  in  prayer  and  prayer  in 
faith? 

112 


CHAPTER  VII 

Unanswered  Prayer 

DAILY  READINGS 

First  Day,  Seventh  Week 

Complaint  about  unanswered  prayer  is  nothing  new.  Con- 
sider this  cry  of  distress  with  which  Habakkuk  opens  his 
book: 

The  burden  which  Habakkuk  the  prophet  did  see.  O 
Jehovah,  how  long  shall  I  cry,  and  thou  wilt  not  hear? 
I  cry  out  unto  thee  of  violence,  and  thou  wilt  not  save. 
Why  dost  thou  show  me  iniquity,  and  look  upon  per- 
verseness?  for  destruction  and  violence  are  before  me; 
and  there  is  strife,  and  contention  riseth  up.  Therefore 
the  law  is  slacked,  and  justice  doth  never  go  forth;  for 
the  wicked  doth  compass  about  the  righteous;  therefore 
justice  goeth  forth  perverted.  .  .  .  Thou  that  art  of  purer 
eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  and  that  canst  not  look  on 
perverseness,  wherefore  lookest  thou  upon  them  that  deal 
treacherously,  and  boldest  thy  peace  when  the  wicked 
swalloweth  up  the  man  that  is  more  righteous  than  he? 
— Habakkuk  1:1-4,  J3- 

The  weekly  comment  will  take  up  the  reasons  for  such 
an  experience  as  is  revealed  here,  but  in  the  daily  readings 
let  us  consider  the  unreasonableness  of  allowing  such  experi- 
ences to  cause  the  abandoning  of  prayer.  For  one  thing, 
unanswered  petition  ought  not  to  cause  the  abandonment  of 
all  praying  because  much  of  the  greatest  praying  is  not 
petition  at  all.  Even  the  pagans  in  their  polytheism  have 
occasionally  perceived  this  truth;  as,  for  example,  in  an 
ancient  book,  De  Mysteriis  Aegyptorum,  "Prayer  is  not  a 

"3 


[VII-2]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

means  of  inducing  the  gods  to  change  the  course  of  things, 
but  their  own  gift  of  communion  with  themselves,  the 
blessing  of  the  living  gods  upon  their  children."  When  one 
turns  to  Christian  experience  he  finds  this  aspect  of  prayer 
everywhere  magnified  and  exalted.  When  Tennyson  de- 
scribed prayer's  meaning  for  his  life  he  said,  "Prayer  is  like 
opening  a  sluice  between  the  great  ocean  and  our  little 
channels,  when  the  sea  gathers  itself  together  and  flows  in 
at  full  tide."  Consider  how  entirely  this  realm  of  prayer  lies 
outside  the  disappointments  of  denied  petition  for  changed 
circumstances. 

Father,  I  thank  Thee  for  Thy  mercies  which  are  new 
every  morning.  For  the  gift  of  sleep;  for  health  and 
strength;  for  the  -vision  of  another  day  with  its  fresh  oppor- 
tunities of  work  and  service;  for  all  these  and  more  than 
these,  I  thank  Thee.  Before  looking  on  the  face  of  men  I 
would  look  on  Thee,  zvho  art  the  health  of  my  countenance 
and  my  God.  Not  without  Thy  guidance  would  I  go  forth 
to  meet  the  duties  and  tasks  of  the  day.  Strengthen  me  so 
that  in  all  my  work  I  may  be  faithful;  amid  trials,  courage- 
ous; in  suffering,  patient;  under  disappointment,  full  of  hope 
in  Thee.  Grant  this  for  Thy  goodness'  sake.  Amen. — 
Samuel  McComb. 

Second  Day,  Seventh  Week 

How  precious  also  are  thy  thoughts  unto  me,   O   God! 

How  great  is  the  sum  of  them! 

If  I  should  count  them,  they  are  more  in  number  than 

the  sand: 

When  I  awake,  I  am  still  with  thee.  .  .  . 
Search  me,   O   God,   and  know  my  heart: 
Try  me,  and  know  my  thoughts; 
And  see  if  there  be  any  wicked  way  in  me, 
And  lead  me  in  the  way  everlasting. 

— Psalm   139:17,   18,  23,  24. 

Consider  the  Psalmist's  use  of  prayer  as  an  opening  of 
the  heart  to  God's  search,  a  means  of  restandardizing  the 
life  and  aligning  it  continually  with  God's  will.  Should  any 
number  of  disappointed  petitions  for  external  things  blind 
our  eyes  to  this  transforming  use  of  prayer?  A  typical 

114 


UNANSWERED  PRAYER  [VII-31 

result  of  Quintin  Hogg's  work  for  boys  in  London  was 
seen  in  Jem  Nicholls,  a  reclaimed  lad  of  the  streets.  When 
Jem  was  asked,  after  Mr.  Hogg's  death,  how  the  fight  for 
character  was  coming  on,  he  said,  "I  have  a  bit  of  trouble  in 
keeping  straight,  but  I  thank  God  all  is  well.  You  see,  I 
carry  a  photo  of  'Q.  H.'  with  me  always,  and  whenever  I  am 
tempted,  I  take  it  out  and  his  look  is  a  wonderful  help,  and 
by  the  grace  of  God  I  am  able  to  overcome  all."  Prayer 
can  be  in  our  lives  this  sort  of  cleansing  and  empowering 
look  at  our  Lord.  It  sets  us  right,  reestablishes  our  stand- 
ards, confirms  our  best  resolves.  After  all,  is  not  this  what 
we  most  want  prayer  for?  Are  we  not  showing  poor  judg- 
ment when  we  surrender  this  kind  of  praying  because  other 
kinds  do  not  always  seem  effective? 

Almighty  God,  who  by  Thy  grace  and  providence  hast 
brought  my  great  and  crying  sins  to  light,  I  most  humbly 
beseech  Thee  to  continue  Thy  grace  and  mercy  to  me,  that 
my  conscience  being  now  awakened,  I  may  call  my  ways  to 
ret>,embrance,  and  confess,  and  bewail  and  abhor  all  the  sins 
of  my  life  past.  And,  O  merciful  God,  give  me  true  re- 
pentance for  them,  even  that  repentance  to  which  Thou  hast 
promised  mercy  and  pardon,  that  even  the  consequences  of 
my  wrongdoing  may  bring  a  blessing  to  me,  and  that  in  all 
/  may  find  mercy  at  Thy  hands,  through  the  merits  and 
mediation  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. — Bishop  Thos. 
Wilson  (1663-1755). 

Third  Day,  Seventh  Week 

Seek  ye  Jehovah  while  he  may  be  found;  call  ye  upon 
him  while  he  is  near:  let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way, 
and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts;  and  let  him  return 
unto  Jehovah,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him;  and  to 
our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon.  For  my  thoughts 
are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  my  ways, 
saith  Jehovah.  For  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the 
earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher  than  your  ways,  and  my 
thoughts  than  your  thoughts.  For  as  the  rain  cometh 
down  and  the  snow  from  heaven,  and  returneth  not 
thither,  but  watereth  the  earth,  and  maketh  it  bring 
forth  and  bud,  and  giveth  seed  to  the  sower  and  bread 
to  the  eater;  so  shall  my  word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of 

115 


[VII-3]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

my  mouth:  it  shall  not  return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall 
accomplish  that  which  I  please,  and  it  shall  prosper  in 
the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it. — Isaiah  55:6-11. 

To  make  unanswered  petition  an  excuse  for  abandoning 
all  prayer  is  clearly  unreasonable  when  we  stop  to  consider 
how  utterly  unfitted  we  are  to  substitute  our  wish  for  God's 
will,  and  what  appalling  results  would  follow  if  all  our 
requests  were  answered.  Think  over  the  faith  in  God's 
providence,  superior  wisdom,  and  mercy  which  Isaiah  here 
makes  the  basis  of  prayer.  Is  it  not  clear  that  our  clamorous 
demands  that  this  kind  of  God  should  please  us,  justify  Long- 
fellow in  his  table-talk  in  breaking  out  into  this  indignant 
and  somewhat  exaggerated  reproof :  "What  discord  should 
we  bring  into  the  universe  if  our  prayers  were  all  answered ! 
Then  we  should  govern  the  world  and  not  God.  And  do  you 
think  we  should  govern  it  better?  It  gives  me  only  pain 
when  I  hear  the  long,  wearisome  petitions  of  men  asking 
for  they  know  not  what.  As  frightened  women  clutch  at  the 
reins  when  there  is  danger,  so  do  we  grasp  at  God's  govern- 
ment with  our  prayers.  Thanksgiving  with  a  full  heart — 
and  the  rest  silence  and  submission  to  the  divine  will !" 

Thou  hast  called  us  to  Thyself,  most  merciful  Father,  with 
love  and  with  promises  abundant;  and  we  are  witnesses  that 
it  is  not  in  vain  that  we  draw  near  to  Thee.  We  bear  wit- 
ness to  Thy  faithfulness.  Thy  promises  are  Yea  and  Amen. 
Thy  blessings  are  exceeding  abundant  more  than  we  know 
or  think.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  privilege  of  prayer,  and 
for  Thine  answers  to  prayer;  and  we  rejoice  that  Thou  dost 
not  answer  according  to  our  petitions.  We  are  blind,  and 
are  constantly  seeking  things  which  are  not  best  for  us. 
If  Thou  didst  grant  all  our  desires  according  to  our  requests, 
we  should  be  ruined.  In  dealing  with  our  little  children  we 
give  them,  not  the  things  which  they  ask  for,  but  the  things 
which  we  judge  to  be  best  for  them;  and  Thou,  our  Father, 
art  by  Thy  providence  overruling  our  ignorance  and  our  head- 
long mistakes,  and  are  doing  for  us,  not  so  much  the  things 
that  we  request  of  Thee  as  the  things  that  we  should  ask; 
and  we  are,  day  by  day,  saved  from  peril  and  from  ruin  by 
Thy  better  knowledge  and  by  Thy  careful  love.  Amen. — 
Henry  Ward  Beecher. 

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UNANSWERED  PRAYER  [VII-4] 

Fourth  Day,  Seventh  Week 

Yet  a  further  reason  for  the  way  we  let  denied  petition 
break  our  faith  in  prayer  is  that  we  fail  to  see  how  often 
God  answers  our  prayers  in  ways  that  we  do  not  expect 
and,  it  may  be,  do  not  like.  Consider  Paul's  experience,  in 
the  one  petition  that,  so  far  as  we  have  record,  he  ever 
offered  for  his  own  individual  need : 

And  by  reason  of  the  exceeding  greatness  of  the 
revelations,  that  I  should  not  be  exalted  overmuch,  there 
was  given  to  me  a  thorn  in  the  flesh,  a  messenger  of 
Satan  to  buffet  me,  that  I  should  not  be  exalted  over- 
much. Concerning  this  thing  I  besought  the  Lord  thrice, 
that  it  might  depart  from  me.  And  he  hath  said  unto 
me,  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee:  for  my  power  is  made 
perfect  in  weakness.  Most  gladly  therefore  will  I  rather 
glory  in  my  weaknesses,  that  the  power  of  Christ  may 
rest  upon  me. — II  Cor.  12 :  7-9. 

how  often  do  God's  replies  thus  come  to  us  in  disguise, 
so  that  we,  lacking  Paul's  insight,  do  not  recognize  them. 
Henry  Ward  Beecher  stated  with  characteristic  humor  what 
is  often  a  very  serious  truth  in  the  practice  of  prayer.  "A 
woman,"  he  said,  "prays  for  patience  and  God  sends  her  a 
green  cook."  That  is,  we  seek  for  a  thing,  and  God  gives 
us  a  chance.  When  our  answers  come  so,  they  are  likely 
neither  to  be  recognized  nor  welcomed.  The  old  Olney 
Hymns  contain  two  stanzas  that  are  applicable  to  not  a  little 
experience  with  prayer : 

"I   asked   the   Lord   that   I   might   grow, 

In  faith,  and  love  and  ev'ry  grace, 

Might  more  of  his   salvation  know, 

And  seek  more  earnestly  his   face. 

"Twas  he  who  taught  me  thus  to  pray, 

And  he  I  know  has  answered  prayer, 
But  it  has  been  in  such  a  way 
As  almost  drove  me  to  despair." 

O  God,  forgive  the  poverty,  the  pettiness,  Lord,  the  childish 
folly  of  our  prayers.  Listen,  not  to  our  words,  .but  to  the 
groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered;  hearken,  not  to  our  peti- 

117 


[VII-S]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

tions,  but  to  the  crying  of  our  need.  So  often  we  pray  for 
that  which  is  already  ours,  neglected  and  unappropriated;  so 
often  for  that  which  never  can  be  ours;  so  often  for  that 
•which  we  must  win  ourselves;  and  then  labour  endlessly  for 
that  which  can  only  come  to  us  in  prayer. 

How  often  we  have  prayed  for  the  coming  of  Thy  kingdom, 
yet  when  it  has  sought  to  come  through  us  we  have  some- 
times barred  the  way;  we  have  wanted  it  without  in  others, 
but  not  in  our  own  hearts.  We  feel  it  is  we  who  stand 
between  man's  need  and  Thee;  between  ourselves  and  what 
we  might  be;  and  we  have  no  trust  in  our  own  strength,  or 
loyalty,  or  courage. 

O  give  us  to  love  Thy  will,  and  seek  Thy  kingdom  first 
of  all.  Sweep  away  our  fears,  our  compromise,  our  weak- 
ness, lest  at  last  we  be  found  fighting  against  Thee.  Amen. 
— W.  E.  Orchard. 

Fifth  Day,  Seventh  Week 

But  if  any  of  you  lacketh  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God, 
who  giveth  to  all  liberally  and  upbraideth  not;  and  it 
shall  be  given  him.  But  let  him  ask  in  faith,  nothing 
doubting:  for  he  that  doubteth  is  like  the  surge  of  the 
sea  driven  by  the  wind  and  tossed.  For  let  not  that  man 
think  that  he  shall  receive  anything  of  the  Lord;  a  double- 
minded  man,  unstable  in  all  his  ways. — James  i :  5-8. 

Our  petitions  seem  to  us  to  be  denied  and  we  give  up 
praying  in  discouragement,  when  the  fact  may  be  that  God 
is  suggesting  to  us  all  the  time  ways  in  which  we  could 
answer  our  own  requests.  Many  a  man  asks  for  a  thing, 
and  God's  answer  is  wisdom  sufficient  to  get  the  thing.  Dean 
Bosworth  puts  it  clearly :  "Almost  all  the  petitions  a  disciple 
ever  has  occasion  to  make  to  his  Father  can  be  answered 
without  recourse  to  the  so-called  laws  of  nature,  if  God  has 
power  to  put  a  thought  into  the  mind  of  man.  Suppose  that 
the  disciple  wants  work  or  money.  If  his  Father  has  power 
to  put  an  appropriate  suggestion  into  his  mind,  or  into  some 
other  man's  mind,  or  into  the  minds  of  both,  the  prayer  can 
be  answered.  And  this  can  be  done  by  means  of,  and  not 
in  spite  of,  the  laws  of  mental  action.  We  are  able  to  put 
thoughts  into  each  other's  minds  by  means  of  words,  and 
science  seems  to  be  surely  demonstrating  the  fact  that  there 

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UNANSWERED  PRAYER  [VII-6J 

are  other  ways  of  doing  it.  Jesus  simply  assumes  that  God 
has  so  made  the  human  mind  that  it  is  capable  of  an  inter- 
change of  thought  with  himself,  its  Heavenly  Father." 

O  Thou,  who  art  the  true  Sun  of  the  world,  ever  rising, 
and  never  going  down;  who,  by  Thy  most  wholesome  appear- 
ing and  sight  dost  nourish,  and  gladden  all  things,  in  heaven 
and  earth;  we  beseech  Thee  mercifully  to  shine  into  our 
hearts,  that  the  night  and  darkness  of  sin,  and  the  mists  of 
error  on  every  side,  being  driven  away,  by  the  brightness  of 
Thy  shining  within  our  hearts,  we  may  all  our  life  walk 
without  stumbling,  as  in  the  day-time,  and,  being  pure  and 
clean  from  the  works  of  darkness,  may  abound  in  all  good 
works  which  Thou  hast  prepared  for  us  to  walk  in.  Amen. 
— Erasmus  (1467-1536). 

Sixth  Day,  Seventh  Week 

And  he  spake  a  parable  unto  them  to  the  end  that  they 
ought  always  to  pray,  and  not  to  faint;  saying,  There 
was  in  a  city  a  judge,  who  feared  not  God,  and  regarded 
not  man:  and  there  was  a  widow  in  that  city;  and  she 
came  oft  unto  him,  saying,  Avenge  me  of  mine  adversary. 
And  he  would  not  for  a  while:  but  afterward  he  said 
within  himself,  Though  I  fear  not  God,  nor  regard  man; 
yet  because  this  widow  troubleth  me,  I  will  avenge  her, 
lest  she  wear  me  out  by  her  continual  coming.  And  the 
Lord  said,  Hear  what  the  unrighteous  judge  saith.  And 
shall  not  God  avenge  his  elect,  that  cry  to  him  day  and 
night,  and  yet  he  is  longsuffering  over  them?  I  say 
unto  you,  that  he  will  avenge  them  speedily.  Neverthe- 
less, when  the  Son  of  man  cometh,  shall  he  find  faith  on 
the  earth? — Luke  18: 1-8. 

Men  often  call  their  petitions  unanswered  because  in  their 
impatience  they  do  not  give  God  time.  Remember  that  in 
this  parable  the  judge  stands  in  contrast  with  God,  not  in 
similarity  with  him,  and  that  the  lesson  is:  If  it  was  worth 
while  waiting  persistently  upon  the  unjust  judge,  how  much 
more  surely  worth  while  to  wait  patiently  on  the  fatherly 
God  1  Many  of  our  greatest  desires  demand  time,  patience, 
persistent  search,  long  waiting  as  conditions  of  their  ful- 
filment. Our  petitions  sometimes  are  unanswered  only  be- 

119 


[VII-7]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

cause  we  too  soon  give  them  up  as  unanswered.  Spurgeon 
put  the  case  strongly :  "It  may  be  your  prayer  is  like  a  ship, 
which,  when  it  goes  on  a  very  long  voyage,  does  not  come 
home  laden  so  soon;  but  when  it  does  come  home,  it  has  a 
richer  freight.  Mere  'coasters'  will  bring  you  coals,  or  such 
like  ordinary  things;  but  they  that  go  afar  to  Tarshish 
return  with  gold  and  ivory.  Coasting  prayers,  such  as  we 
pray  every  day,  bring  us  many  necessaries,  but  there  are 
great  prayers,  which,  like  the  old  Spanish  galleons,  cross 
the  main  ocean,  and  are  longer  out  of  sight,  but  come  home 
deep  laden  with  a  golden  freight." 

O  Merciful  God,  fill  our  hearts,  we  pray  Thee,  -with  the 
graces  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit,  with  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffer- 
ing, gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance.  Teach 
us  to  love  those  who  hate  us;  to  pray  for  those  who  despite- 
fully  use  us;  that  we  may  be  the  children  of  Thee,  our 
Father,  who  makest  Thy  sun  to  shine  on  the  evil  and  on  the 
good,  and  sendest  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust. — 
Anselm  (1033-1109). 

Seventh  Day,  Seventh  Week 

Beloved,  think  it  not  strange  concerning  the  fiery  trial 
among  you,  which  cometh  upon  you  to  prove  you,  as 
though  a  strange  thing  happened  unto  you:  but  insomuch 
as  ye  are  partakers  of  Christ's  sufferings,  rejoice;  that  at 
the  revelation  of  his  glory  also  ye  may  rejoice  with 
exceeding  great  joy.  If  ye  are  reproached  for  the  name 
of  Christ,  blessed  are  ye;  because  the  Spirit  of  glory  and 
the  Spirit  of  God  resteth  upon  you.  For  let  none  of  you 
suffer  as  a  murderer,  or  a  thief,  or  an  evildoer,  or  as  a 
meddler  in  other  men's  matters:  but  if  a  man  suffer  as  a 
Christian,  let  him  not  be  ashamed;  but  let  him  glorify 
God  in  this  name.  .  .  .  Wherefore  let  them  also  that 
suffer  according  to  the  will  of  God  commit  their  souls 
in  well-doing  unto  a  faithful  Creator. — I  Peter  4: 12-16,  19. 

Note  the  serious  situation  reflected  in  this  Scripture,  the 
suffering  endured,  the  "fiery  trial"  to  be  faced,  and  consider 
the  spirit  of  prayer  in  the  last  verse,  where  "as  to  a  faithful 
Creator"  they  commit  their  souls.  Some  people  make  an 
unreasonable  surrender  of  their  praying,  because  they  have 

1 20 


UNANSWERED  PRAYER  [VII-c] 

been  disappointed  in  getting  their  desires,  and  suppose  that 
the  great  pray-ers  have  estimated  the  value  of  prayer  in  terms 
of  the  trouble  out  of  which  it  saved  them.  On  the  contrary, 
many  a  saint  has  prayed  his  best  for  changed  circumstances 
and  then  has  committed  his  soul  "as  to  a  faithful  Creator," 
although  the  outward  trouble  still  was  there.  "Chinese" 
Gordon  was  a  great  believer  in  prayer;  he  said  that  he 
"prayed  his  boats  up  the  Nile" ;  but  he  also  has  left  on  record 
this  statement:  "I  think  all  prayer  for  temporalities  must 
be  made  in  subjection  to  God's  will,  with  this  reservation — 
if  it  falls  in  with  his  great  scheme.  The  person  who  prays 
must  be  ready  to  have  his  request  denied,  if  it  runs  counter 
to  God's  rule,  which  is  dictated  by  infinite  wisdom." 

O  Father,  who  hast  ordained  that  we  be  set  within  a  scheme 
of  circumstance,  and  that  in  stern  conflict  we  should  find  our 
strength  and  triumph  over  all;  withhold  not  from  us  the 
courage  by  which  alone  we  can  conquer.  Still  our  tongues  of 
their  weak  complainings,  steel  our  hearts  against  all  fear, 
and  in  joyfully  accepting  the  conditions  of  our  earthly 
pilgrimage  may  we  come  to  possess  our  souls  and  achieve 
our  purposed  destiny. 

It  has  pleased  Thee  to  hide  from  us  a  perfect  knowledge, 
yet  Thou  callest  for  a  perfect  trust  in  Thee.  We  cannot 
see  to-morrow,  we  know  not  the  way  that  we  take,  darkness 
hangs  about  our  path  and  mystery  meets  us  at  every  turn. 
Yet  Thou  hast  shut  us  up  to  final  faith  in  goodness,  justice, 
truth;  that  loving  these  for  themselves  alone,  we  may  find 
the  love  that  passeth  knowledge,  and  look  upon  Thy  face. 

O  suffer  us  not  for  any  terror  of  darkness  or  from  any 
torment  of  mind  to  sin  against  our  souls,  or  to  fail  at  last 
of  Thee.  Amen. — W.  E.  Orchard. 


COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 
I 

To  a  beginner  in  the  high  art  of  praying  the  Bible  is  often 
a  very  disheartening  book.  Its  characters  appear  at  first 
sight  to  enjoy  the  uninterrupted  experience  of  answered 
prayer.  The  refrain  of  the  Psalmist  seems  typical :  "Thou 

121 


[VII-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

hast  given  him  his  heart's  desire,  thou  hast  not  withholden 
the  request  of  his  lips"  (Psalm  21 : 2).  If  the  Bible,  however, 
knew  no  other  experience  with  prayer  than  the  enjoyment 
of  successful  petition,  it  would  be  a  book  utterly  inadequate 
to  meet  our  needs.  One  of  the  sorest  trials  of  our  faith  is 
petition  unanswered.  It  is  worth  our  notice,  therefore,  that 
the  Bible  itself  records  the  experience  of  ungranted  prayer. 
Even  in  the  Psalms  one  finds  not  alone  jubilant  gratitude 
over  petitions  won  but  despondent  sorrow  over  petitions 
denied.  "O  my  God,  I  cry  in  the  day-time,  but  thou  answerest 
not;  and  in  the  night  season,  and  am  not  silent"  (Psalm 
22 : 2) . 

Indeed,  upon  examination,  the  Bible  turns  out  to  be  full 
of  unanswered  prayers.  Moses  prays  to  enter  the  Promised 
Land,  but  dies  on  Nebo's  top,  his  request  refused.  In  the 
midst  of  national  calamity  the  patriot  lifts  his  Lamentation, 
"Thou  hast  covered  thyself  with  a  cloud,  so  that  no  prayer 
can  pass  through"  (Lam.  3 : 44)  ;  and  the  prophet  Habakkuk 
in  his  despondency  exclaims,  "O  Jehovah,  how  long  shall  I 
cry,  and  thou  wilt  not  hear?"  (Hab.  1:2).  Paul  prays  thrice 
that  a  vexatious,  physical  handicap,  a  "thorn  in  the  flesh," 
which  hinders  his  missionary  labors,  may  be  removed;  but 
for  the  rest  of  his  life  he  is  compelled  to  make  the  best  of  it 
and  to  let  it  make  the  best  of  him  (II  Cor.  12:9).  Even 
the  Master  in  the  Garden  prays  for  release  from  the  appalling 
cup,  but  goes  out  to  drink  it  to  the  dregs. 

Not  only  do  we  meet  in  the  Scriptures  such  outstanding 
examples  of  unanswered  prayer ;  we  find  as  well  whole 
classes  of  men  whose  petitions  are  on  principle  denied.  In 
the  first  chapter  of  Isaiah  men  are  praying  and  God  is 
speaking  to  them,  "When  ye  make  many  prayers,  I  will  not 
hear:  your  hands  are  full  of  blood"  (Isaiah  1:15).  In  the 
fourth  chapter  of  James'  Epistle  men  are  praying,  and  the 
Apostle  says,  "Ye  ask,  and  receive  not,  because  ye  ask  amiss, 
that  ye  may  spend  it  in  your  pleasures"  (James  4:3). 
Throughout  the  Old  Testament  the  reader  runs  continually 
on  verses  such  as  these:  "What  is  the  hope  of  the  godless? 
.  .  .  Will  God  hear  his  cry?"  (Job  27:  8,  9)  ;  "Pray  not  thou 
for  this  people,  neither  lift  up  a  cry  or  prayer  for  them ; 
for  I  will  not  hear  them  in  the  time  that  they  cry  unto  me" 
(Jer.  ii :  14)  ;  "If  I  regard  iniquity  in  my  heart,  the  Lord  will 
not  hear  me"  (Psalm  66:18).  Even  in  the  Gospels,  Jesus, 

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UNANSWERED  PRAYER  [VII-c] 

the  supreme  believer  in  prayer, .  tells  his  disciples  that  if  a 
man  does  not  forgive  his  enemies,  even  his  own  prayer  for 
God's  pardon  will  be  disregarded  (Matt.  6:15).  The  Bible 
is  full  of  unanswered  prayer.  We  have  here  no  monotonous, 
unreal  record  of  petitions  always  granted.  This  book  is  no 
stranger  to  that  complaint  which,  more  than  any  puzzle  over 
theory,  makes  confident  prayer  difficult:  "I  cry  unto  thee, 
and  thou  dost  not  answer  me :  I  stand  up,  and  thou  gazest 
at  me"  (Job  30 :  20) . 

II 

In  dealing  with  this  problem  we  should  emphasise  the 
truth  before  maintained  that  petition  is  by  no  means  the  only 
form  of  prayer.  Even  though  a  man  never  asked  God  for 
anything,  he  still  could  pray.  Indeed,  the  value  of  prayer  is 
made  to  hinge  too  often  upon  the  granting  of  minor  material 
requests.  God  is  reduced  to  the  office  of  a  village  charity 
organization  doling  out  small  supplies  to  improvident  appli- 
cants. This  conception  of  prayer's  use  and  value  is  infinitely 
removed  from  the  elevated  thought  of  Scripture.  When  we 
listen  there  in  the  places  where  men  pray,  we  hear,  for  ex- 
ample :  "Bless  Jehovah,  O  my  soul ;  and  all  that  is  within  me, 
bless  his  holy  name"  (Psalm  103:1).  It  is  the  prayer  of 
adoration.  Or  we  hear  the  cry  of  a  great  statesman,  re- 
making a  ruined  nation;  "O  my  God,  I  am  ashamed  and 
blush  to  lift  up  my  face  to  thee,  my  God;  for  our  iniquities 
are  increased  over  our  head,  and  our  guiltiness  is  grown  up 
unto  the  heavens"  (Ezra  9:6).  It  is  the  prayer  of  confession. 
We  hear  a  grateful  Psalmist  pray:  "I  will  extol  thee,  O 
Jehovah ;  for  thou  hast  raised  me  up  ...  O  Jehovah  my 
God,  I  will  give  thanks  unto  thee  for  ever"  (Psalm  30:  i,  12). 
It  is  the  prayer  of  thanksgiving.  We  hear  the  vow :  "Teach 
me,  O  Jehovah,  the  way  of  thy  statutes;  and  I  shall  keep  it 
unto  the  end.  Give  me  understanding,  and  I  shall  keep  thy 
law;  yea,  I  shall  observe  it  with  my  whole  heart"  (Psalm 
1I9:33»  34)-  It  is  the  prayer  of  consecration.  And  often,  a 
voice  like  this  is  heard :  "How  precious  also  are  thy  thoughts 
unto  me,  O  God !  How  great  is  the  sum  of  them  1  ...  When 
I  awake,  I  am  still  with  thee"  (Psalm  139:  17,  18).  It  is  the 
prayer  of  communion.  Adoration,  confession,  thanksgiving, 
consecration,  communion — these  are  the  great  prayers  of  the 

123 


[VII-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

Book  as  they  are  of  the  soul.  Petition  is  only  one  province 
in  the  vast  Kingdom  of  Prayer.  Whatever  our  difficulties 
there,  the  wide  ranges  of  prayer  are  not  closed  to  us. 

Nevertheless  this  province  of  petition  is  important.  It  is 
not  the  whole  of  prayer,  but  it  is  the  original  form  of  prayer 
and  never  can  be  nor  ought  to  be  outgrown.  Men  cannot  be 
content  simply  to  praise  God,  confess  to  him,  thank  him, 
make  vows  of  devotion,  and  enjoy  communion  with  him. 
Men  have  desires,  all  the  way  from  the  long-sought  coming 
of  the  Kingdom  to  the  welfare  of  their  loved  ones  and  the 
prosperity  of  their  daily  business,  to  whose  furtherance  they 
instinctively  call  the  help  of  any  god  in  whom  they  really 
believe.  "Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven," 
and  "Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread,"  are  both  petitions  ; 
and  they  belong  in  the  Lord's  Prayer,  together  with  "Hal- 
lowed be  thy  name."  Petition,  in  its  lower  forms,  trying  to 
make  God  a  mere  means  to  serve  some  selfish,  external  end, 
is  the  result  of  ignorant,  unspiritual  immaturity.  But  peti- 
tions that  well  up  out  of  mankind's  deep  desires  for  real 
good,  are  an  integral  part  of  prayer.  They  are  to  the  whole 
domain  what  the  thirteen  original  states  are  to  America; 
not  the  whole  of  it,  nor  the  major  portion  of  it,  but  the 
primary  nucleus  of  it  and  the  initial  influence  in  it. 

Moreover,  the  Bible,  with  all  its  emphasis  upon  the  other 
aspects  of  prayer,  uses  words  very  explicit,  sweeping,  and 
confident  about  petition :  "Call  unto  me,  and  I  will  answer 
thee"  (Jer.  33 : 3)  ;  "Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you"  (Matt. 
7:7);  "All  things,  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  prayer,  believ- 
ing, ye  shall  receive"  (Matt.  21:22)  ;  "All  things  whatsoever 
ye  pray  and  ask  for,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye 
shall  have  them"  (Mark  11:24)  ;  "If  two  of  you  shall  agree 
on  earth  as  touching  anything  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be 
done  for  them  of  my  Father"  (Matt.  18:  19).  What  expecta- 
tions such  words  awaken !  And  what  a  puzzling,  baffling 
obstacle  to  active  faith  is  the  repeated  denial  of  our  re- 
quests !  What  is  the  use  of  proving  that  prayer  can  bring 
results  if  our  experience  shows  that  it  does  not? 

Ill 

One  obvious  reason  foi  our  unanswered  petitions  is,  of 
course,  the  ignorance  of  our  asking.  Piety  is  no  guarantee 

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UNANSWERED  PRAYER  [VII-c] 

of  wisdom.  One  has  but  to  consider  the  spectacle  of  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  men  at  prayer,  voicing  to  God  their  vari- 
ous and  often  contradictory  desires;  praying  vehemently  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  same  war;  some  even  praying,  like  the 
Bourbon  king,  that  they  may  be  allowed  to  sin  once  more; 
and  almost  all  of  us  praying  in  ignorance  of  our  profoundest 
needs,  to  see  that  many  petitions  must  be  denied.  Indeed, 
instead  of  calling  prayers  unanswered,  it  is  far  truer  to 
recognize  that  "No"  is  as  real  an  answer  as  "Yes,"  and  often 
far  more  kind.  When  one  considers  the  partialness  of  our 
knowledge,  the  narrowness  of  our  outlook,  our  little  skill  in 
tracing  the  far-off  consequences  of  our  desire,  he  sees  how 
often  God  must  speak  to  us,  as  Jesus  did  to  the  ambitious 
woman,  "Ye  know  not  what  ye  ask"  (Matt.  20:22).  This 
suggestion  is  no  special  pleading,  superficially  to  evade  a 
difficulty.  Rabindranath  Tagore,  the  Bengali  poet,  was  not 
constructing  a  Christian  apologetic,  but  was  stating  a  pro- 
found human  experience,  when  he  wrote : 

"My  desires  are  many  and  my  cry  is  pitiful,  but  ever  didst 
thou  save  me  by  hard  refusals ;  and  this  strong  mercy  has 
been  wrought  into  my  life  through  and  through." 

This  suggestion  gains  force  when  we  perceive  that  often, 
if  God  granted  the  form  of  our  petition,  he  would  deny  the 
substance  of  our  desire.  In  one  of  the  most  impressive  pas- 
sages in  his  "Confessions,"  St.  Augustine  pictures  his  mother, 
Monica,  praying  all  one  night,  in  a  sea-side  chapel  on  the 
north  African  coast,  that  God  would  not  let  her  son  sail  for 
Italy.  She  wanted  Augustine  to  be  a  Christian.  She  could 
not  endure  losing  him  from  her  influence.  If  under  her 
care,  he  still  was  far  from  being  Christ's,  what  would  he  be 
in  Italy,  home  of  licentiousness  and  splendor,  of  manifold 
and  alluring  temptations?  And  even  while  she  prayed  there 
passionately  for  her  son's  retention  at  home,  he  sailed,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  for  Italy,  where,  persuaded  by  Ambrose,  he 
became  a  Christian  in  the  very  place  from  which  his  mother's 
prayers  would  have  kept  him.  The  form  of  her  petition  was 
denied;  the  substance  of  her  desire  was  granted.  As  St. 
Augustine  himself  puts  it :  "Thou,  in  the  depth  of  thy  counsels, 
hearing  the  main  point  of  her  desire,  regardedst  not  what  she 
then  asked,  that  thou  mightest  make  me  what  she  ever  dc- 


[VII-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

sired."  It  would  be  a  sorry  world  for  all  of  us,  if  our  unwise 
petitions  did  not  often  have  "No"  for  their  answer. 

IV 

Another  plain  reason  for  our  denied  requests  is  that  we 
continually  try  to  make  prayer  a  substitute  for  intelligence 
and  work.  We  have  already  seen  that  there  are  three  chief 
ways  in  which  men  cooperate  with  God :  thinking,  working, 
and  praying.  Now,  no  one  of  these  three  can  ever  take  the 
place  of  another.  Each  has  its  peculiar  realm.  No  human 
mind  may  be  acute  and  penetrating  enough  exactly  to  trace 
the  boundaries,  but  it  is  clear  that  the  boundaries  must  be 
there.  When  our  petitions  cross  over  into  the  realms  where 
results  must  be  achieved,  not  by  asking,  but  by  working  and 
thinking,  the  petitions  cannot  be  granted. 

There  are  prayers,  for  example,  which  attempt  to  achieve 
by  supplication  what  can  be  achieved  only  by  effective  think- 
ing. Consider  what  this  world  would  become  if  everything 
could  be  accomplished  by  prayer.  What  if  men  could  sail 
their  ships  as  well  by  prayer  alone  as  by  knowledge  of  the 
science  of  navigation ;  could  swing  their  bridges  as  firmly  by 
petition  only  as  by  studying  engineering  laws ;  could  light 
their  houses,  send  their  messages,  and  work  out  their 
philosophies  by  mere  entreaty?  Is  it  not  clear  that  if,  as  in 
fairy-tales,  we  had  the  power  of  omnipotent  wishing  con- 
ferred upon  us,  we  never  would  use  our  intelligence  at  all? 
If  life  is  to  mean  development  and  discipline,  some  things 
must  be  impossible  until  men  think,  no  matter  how  hard 
men  pray.  If  a  boy  asks  his  father  to  work  out  his  arithmetic 
lesson  because  he  wishes  to  play,  will  the  father  do  it?  The 
father  loves  the  boy;  he  could  work  out  the  lesson,  but  he 
must  not.  The  boy's  prayer  must  never  be  made  a  substitute 
for  his  intellectual  discipline.  The  father,  in  answer  to  the 
boy's  request,  may  encourage  him,  assist  him,  stand  by  him 
and  see  him  through ;  but  the  father  must  not  do  for  the  boy 
anything  that  the  boy  can  possibly  do  for  himself.  Harsh 
though  at  times  it  may  seem,  God  surely  must  require  us  as 
individuals  and  as  a  race  to  endure  the  discipline  of  painful 
enterprise  and  struggle,  rather  than  find  an  easy  relief  by 
asking. 

There  are  prayers,  also,  which  attempt  to  accomplish  by 
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UNANSWERED  PRAYER  [VII-c] 

supplication  what  can  be  accomplished  only  by  work.  In  one 
of  the  most  dramatic  scenes  of  the  Exodu.i,  where  the 
Israelites  are  caught  with  the  unfordable  Red  Sea  in  front 
and  the  pursuing  Egyptians  behind,  Moses  goes  apart  to 
pray.  The  reply  which  he  receives  from  Jehovah  is  startling. 
It  is  nothing  less  than  a  rebuke  for  having  prayed :  "Where- 
fore criest  thou  unto  me?  speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  they  go  forward"  (Ex.  14:15).  It  is  as  though  God 
were  saying,  "I  have  everything  prepared  for  your  aggressive 
action.  I  have  done  the  last  thing  that  I  can  do,  until  you 
resolutely  take  advantage  of  it.  It  is  your  move!  You  can- 
not obtain  by  prayer  what  comes  only  as  the  reward  of 
work."  Such  a  rebuke  many  of  our  prayers  deserve.  We 
forget  the  proverb :  "If  wishes  were  horses,  beggars  would 
ride." 

When  one  studies  the  great  servants  of  the  Kingdom  at 
prayer,  he  always  finds  in  them  this  sturdy  common-sense. 
If  ever  an  enterprise  was  begun,  continued,  and  ended  in 
prayer,  it  was  Nehemiah's  reconstruction  of  the  Hebrew 
commonwealth ;  but  Nehemiah  always  combined  prayer  and 
work,  without  confusing  them :  "I  prayed  unto  the  God  of 
heaven.  And  I  said  unto  the  king"  (Neh.  2:4,  5)  ;  "We  made 
our  prayer  unto  our  God,  and  set  a  watch  against  them  day 
and  night"  (Neh.  4:9)  ;  "Remember  the  Lord  .  .  .  and  fight" 
(Neh.  4:14).  So  Cromwell  prayed,  but  when  he  faced  a 
weak  and  flaccid  piety  that  made  prayer  a  substitute  for 
practical  devotion,  he  put  his  feeling  into  a  phrase  as  hard  as 
his  bullets :  "Trust  God  and  keep  your  powder  dry."  Such 
men  have  understood  that  God  has  three  ways  of  accomplish- 
ing his  will  through  men,  not  one  way  only.  "Pray  to  God," 
said  Spurgeon,  "but  keep  the  hammer  going." 


Siill  another  reason  for  ungranted  petition  may  be  noted : 
we  are  not  ready  for  the  reception  of  the  gift  which  we 
desire.  The  trouble  is  not  with  the  petition  but  with  us  who 
offer  it.  We  need  not  be  wilfully  wicked.  We  may  simply 
lack  that  eager  readiness  to  receive  which  voices  itself  in 
earnest,  persistent  prayer.  The  note  of  Jacob's  wrestling 
with  the  angel,  "I  will  not  let  thee  go,  except  thou  bless 
me"  (Gen.  32:26),  is  lacking  in  our  supplication.  We  are 

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[VII-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

lackadaisical  in  our  desires  and  therefore  are  not  importunate 
in  our  prayers. 

At  first  it  may  be  surprising,  in  view  of  all  that  has  been 
said  about  the  individual  love  of  God,  that  we  should  insist 
on  importunity  in  prayer.  If  God  is  good  and  wishes  to 
give  us  the  best,  why  must  we  clamor  long  after  a  real  good, 
eagerly  and  patiently  and  with  importunity  seeking  it? 

At  this  point  many  of  Jesus'  sayings  are  difficult  to  under- 
stand. He  clearly  insisted  on  importunate  prayer.  "He  spake 
a  parable  unto  them  to  the  end  that  they  ought  always  to 
pray,  and  not  to  faint"  (Luke  18:1),  and  the  parable  re- 
corded a  woman's  tiresome,  reiterated  petitioning  of  a  judge 
until  he  cried  in  despair,  "I  will  avenge  her,  lest  she  wear 
me  out  by  her  continual  coming."  He  who  believed  so  fully 
in  the  utter  willingness  and  power  of  God  to  help,  even 
illustrated  prayer  by  a  man's  arousal  of  a  sleepy  neighbor 
and  his  pestering  persistence  in  calling  for  bread  until  "be- 
cause of  his  importunity"  he  won  his  request  (Luke  n:sf). 
We  must  allow  for  the  picturesque  exaggeration  in  these 
vivid  parables ;  we  must  remember  that  they  were  supposed 
to  illustrate  only  one  aspect  of  prayer,  not  the  whole  of  it ; 
we  must  balance  these  passages  by  Jesus'  own  condemnation 
of  those  who  think  they  shall  be  "heard  for  their  much  speak- 
ing" :  but  we  must  not  thin  out,  until  we  lose  it,  the  obvious 
meaning  here.  Jesus  was  insisting  on  tireless  praying.  He 
said  prayer  was  seeking  (Luke  11:9);  and  if  one  considers 
what  intellectual  search  means,  as  when  Copernicus  ques- 
tioned the  heavens  year  after  year  to  discover  the  truth,  or 
what  geographical  search  means,  as  when  Peary  tried  undis- 
courageably  for  the  Pole,  he  catches  at  least  a  faint  idea  of 
the  Master's  thought  of  prayer  as  an  unwearied  seeking 
after  spiritual  good.  "For  twenty-four  years,"  said  Peary, 
"sleeping  or  awake,  to  place  the  Stars  and  Stripes  on  the 
Pole  had  been  my  dream."  That  is  the  spirit  of  seeking,  and 
that,  the  Master  said,  is  the  spirit  of  prayer. 

The  necessity  of  this  sort  of  prayer  is  not  difficult  to 
understand.  Boys  on  Hallowe'en  ring  bells  and  run.  So, 
many  of  us  pray.  But  any  one  who  has  serious  business  will 
wait  for  an  answer  to  his  summons  and  if  need  be,  will  ring 
again.  The  patient  waiting,  the  reiterated  demand  are  an 
expression  and  a  test  of  our  earnestness.  When  we  said  that 
both  "No"  and  "Yes"  were  real  answers  to  prayers,  we  did 

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UNANSWERED  PRAYER  [VII-c] 

not  exhaust  the  possibilities.  There  is  another  answer  which 
God  continually  gives  us — "Wait."  For  nearly  two  thousand 
years  the  church  has  been  praying  "that  they  may  all  be  one." 
God  never  has  said  "No"  to  that,  nor  yet  has  he  said  "Yes." 
He  has  said  "Wait."  Since  Jesus  taught  them  first  to  pray, 
"Thy  kingdom  come,"  his  disciples  have  lifted  that  supplication 
century  after  century ;  and  "Lo !  Thy  church  is  praying  yet, 
a  thousand  years  the  same."  Great  prayers  such  as  these  are 
not  affairs  of  "Yes"  or  "No";  they  reach  over  ages  and  bind 
together  the  aspirations  of  God's  noblest  sons ;  they  are  an 
eager,  patient,  persistent  search  after  good. 

Now  compare  with  such  undiscourageable  prayers  our  indi- 
vidual spasms  of  petition.  Our  requests  spurt  up  like  inter- 
mittent geysers;  we  cry  out  and  fall  back  again.  We  are  not 
in  earnest.  "Easiness  of  desire,"  said  Jeremy  Taylor,  "is  a 
great  enemy  to  the  success  of  a  good  man's  prayer.  It  must 
be  an  intent,  zealous,  busy,  operative  prayer.  For  consider 
what  a  huge  indecency  it  is  that  a  man  should  speak  to  God 
for  a  thing  that  he  values  not.  Our  prayers  upbraid  our 
spirits  when  we  beg  tamely  for  those  things  for  which  we 
ought  to  die."  This,  then,  is  the  rationale  of  importunity  in 
prayer,  not  that  it  is  needed  to  coax  God,  but  that  it  is  needed 
alike  to  express  and  by  expressing  to  deepen  our  eager  readi- 
ness for  the  good  we  seek.  Some  things  God  cannot  give  to  a 
man  until  the  man  has  prepared  and  proved  his  spirit  by  per- 
sistent prayer.  Such  praying  cleans  the  house,  cleanses  the 
windows,  hangs  the  curtains,  sets  the  table,  opens  the  door, 
until  God  says,  "Lo!  The  house  is  ready.  Now  may  the 
guest  come  in." 

VI 

As  we  step,  then,  from  the  wider  domain  of  prayer  into 
the  special  province  of  petition,  we  can  see  three  compre- 
hensive reasons  for  denied  request :  the  ignorance  of  our 
asking,  our  use  of  prayer  in  fields  where  it  does  not  belong, 
and  the  unreadiness  of  our  own  lives  to  receive  the  good  we 
seek.  There  are  many  people  who  have  a  thoughtless  and 
unauthorized  belief  in  the  power  of  prayer  to  get  things 
for  themselves.  They  forget  the  searching  condition  put  on 
all  petition,  that  it  must  be  in  Christ's  name  (John  14:13; 
16:23,  24,  26).  No  hurried  addition  of  "For  Jesus'  sake" 

129 


[VII-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

appended  to  a  prayer  can  satisfy  this  deep  and  spiritual 
demand.  Petition  must  be  in  accordance  with  the  divine 
will  and  in  harmony  with  Christ's  spirit;  it  must  be  wise  in 
itself  and  must  come  from  a  life  persistent  in  its  desires  and 
unselfish  in  its  purposes,  before  that  law  of  prayer  can  be 
satisfied.  To  pray  in  Christ's  name  is  nothing  less  than  the 
acceptance  of  St.  Augustine's  attitude  when  he  cried :  "O  Lord, 
grant  that  I  may  do  thy  will  as  if  it  were  my  will;  so  that 
thou  mayest  do  my  will  as  if  it  were  thy  will."  Prayer  is  not 
magic,  and  it  is  a  fortunate  thing  for  us  that  TrumbuH's  word 
is  true,  alike  to  Scripture  and  experience,  that  so  far  as 
petition  is  concerned  "Prayer  is  not  to  be  depended  on,  but 
God  is !" 

There  is  one  sense,  however,  in  which  answer  to  prayer 
can  always  be  depended  on,  if  a  man  has  kept  his  life  at  all 
in  harmony  with  God.  Even  when  God  cannot  answer  affirma- 
tively the  man's  petition  he  can  answer  the  man.  Paul's  peti- 
tion for  relief  from  his  physical  distress  was  not  affirmatively 
answered,  but  Paul  was  answered.  He  went  out  from  that 
denied  request,  thrice  repeated,  with  a  reply  from  God  that 
put  fortitude  and  courage  into  him :  "My  grace  is  sufficient 
for  thee:  for  my  power  is  made  perfect  in  weakness"  (II  Cor. 
12:9).  God  always  answers  true  prayer  in  one  of  two  ways — 
"No  good  prayer  ever  comes  weeping  home."  For  either  he 
changes  the  circumstances  or  he  supplies  sufficient  power  to 
overcome  them;  he  answers  either  the  petition  or  the  man. 
As  Luther  put  it,  "A  Christian  knows  that  he  is  not  refused 
what  he  has  prayed  for,  and  finds,  in  fact,  that  he  is  helped 
in  all  troubles  .  .  .  and  that  God  gives  him  power  to  bear 
his  troubles  and  to  overcome  them:  which  is  just  the  same 
thing  as  taking  his  trouble  away  from  him,  and  making  it  no 
longer  misfortune  or  distress,  seeing  it  has  been  overcome." 

This  truth  explains  such  amazing  statements  as  Adoniram 
Judson,  for  example,  made  at  the  close  of  his  life:  "I  never 
prayed  sincerely  and  earnestly  for  anything,  but  it  came ;  at 
some  time — no  matter  at  how  distant  a  day — somehow,  in  some 
shape — probably  the  last  I  should  have  devised — it  came."  But 
Judson  had  prayed  for  entrance  into  India  and  had  been 
compelled  to  go  to  Burmah;  he  had  prayed  for  his  wife's  life, 
and  had  buried  both  her  and  his  two  children ;  he  had  prayed 
for  release  from  the  King  of  Ava's  prison  and  had  lain  there 
months,  chained  and  miserable.  Scores  of  Judson's  petitions 

130 


UNANSWERED  PRAYER  [VII-s] 

had  gone  without  an  affirmative  answer.  But  Judson  always 
had  been  answered.  He  had  been  upheld,  guided,  reinforced ; 
unforeseen  doors  had  opened  through  the  very  trials  he 
sought  to  avoid;  and  the  deep  desires  of  his  life  were  being 
accomplished  not  in  his  way  but  beyond  his  way.  He  meant 
by  his  assertion  of  the  unfailing  power  of  prayer  what  Paul 
meant  when  he  cried,  "My  God  shall  supply  every  need" 
(Phil.  4:19)-  Yes,  even  the  Master  faced  denied  petition. 
"Let  the  cup  pass,"  was  a  cry  that  could  not  be  granted.  But 
Jesus  himself  was  greatly  answered  in  the  Garden.  The 
request  was  denied,  but  as  our  Lord  goes  out  to  face  Pilate 
and  the  cross,  with  a  loyalty  to  .his  Cause  that  no  temptation 
can  relax,  a  steadiness  that  no  suffering  can  shake,  a  mag- 
nanimity that  neither  nails  nor  spear  nor  gibe  can  embitter, 
who  can  measure  what  in  prayer  had  been  done  for  the  Man? 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

Why  are  prayers  unanswered? 

What  would  happen  if  all  petitions  were  granted? 

If  the  course  of  events  were  decided  alone  in  accordance 
with  the  petitions  to  God  by  men,  what  kind  of  a  world  would 
it  be? 

To  what  extent  would  any  individual  be  willing  to  have  his 
prayers  answered? 

What  is  the  effect  upon  personal  character  of  a  religion 
that  substitutes  begging  for  honest  work? 

Under  what  circumstances  do  you  think  God  would  grant 
a  petition  for  definite  help  in  securing  something  which  a 
man  might  get  by  his  own  intellect  and  work? 

To  what  extent  is  it  possible  for  a  man's  "petition"  to  be 
denied  and  his  "prayer"  still  to  be  answered? 

If  we  ask  God  for  something  in  how  far  is  it  an  answer 
to  this  petition  to  be  given  the  opportunity  and  direction  to 
answer  the  petition  for  ourselves? 

In  response  to  his  petition  to  be  relieved  from  "the  thorn 
in  the  flesh,"  which  do  you  think  presented  the  greater  value 
to  Paul — the  granting  of  his  actual  petition  or  the  answer 
which  he  received? 


[VII-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

If  all  petitions  were  unanswered,  would  it  still  be  worth 
while  to  pray? 

Why  are  answers  to  prayer  deferred? 

What  prerequisites  does  a  wise  father  require  of  his  sons 
before  granting  them  their  share  of  the  inheritance?  What 
light  does  this  throw  upon  the  answer  to  a  petition  being 
deferred  by  God? 

Why  did  Jesus  suggest  the  necessity  of  importunity  in 
prayer  ? 

What  does  the  New  Testament  mean  when  it  speaks  of  pray- 
ing "in  Christ's  name"? 

What  is  the  difference  between  "answering  a  petition"  and 
"answering  a  man"?  Have  any  of  my  prayers  really  been 
unanswered? 


132 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Prayer  as  Dominant  Desire 

DAILY  READINGS 

First  Day,  Eighth  Week 

And  God  hath  set  some  in  the  church,  first  apostles, 
secondly  prophets,  thirdly  teachers,  then  miracles,  then 
gifts  of  healings,  helps,  governments,  divers  kinds  of 
tongues.  Are  all  apostles?  are  all  prophets?  are  all 
teachers?  are  all  workers  of  miracles?  have  all  gifts  of 
healings?  do  all  speak  with  tongues?  do  all  interpret? 
But  desire  earnestly  the  greater  gifts.  And  moreover 
a  most  excellent  way  show  I  unto  you.  If  I  spears  with 
the  tongues  of  men  and  of  angels,  but  have  not  love, 
I  am  become  sounding  brass,  or  a  clanging  cymbal. 
— I  Cor.  12:28-13:1. 

Note  the  unfortunate  break  in  this  great  passage  made 
by  a  new  chapter's  beginning.  The  thirteenth  chapter  on  love 
should  always  be  read  as  an  explanation  of  the  verse  in  the 
twelfth  chapter,  "Desire  earnestly  the  greater  gifts." 

Many  reasons  for  unreality  in  prayer  we  have  noted,  such 
as  perversity  of  mood,  or  failure  to  grasp  the  individual 
love  of  God,  or  wilful  alienation  of  the  life  in  sin.  With 
one  of  the  deepest  troubles  in  our  praying,  however,  we 
have  not  dealt.  Our  prayers  are  often  unreal  because  they 
do  not  represent  what  in  our  inward  hearts  -we  sincerely 
crave.  We  ask  God  for  the  "greater  gifts"  which  we  do  not 
"desire  earnestly."  For  example  we  pray  against  some  evil 
habit  in  our  lives,  while  at  the  same  time  we  refuse  to  give 
up  the  practices  that  make  the  habit  easy,  or  the  companion- 
ships in  which  the  habit  thrives.  We  go  through  the  form 
of  entreating  God  to  save  us  from  the  sin,  but  we  do  not 

133 


[VIII-2]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

want  the  answer  enough  to  burn  the  bridges  across  which 
the  sin  continually  comes.  Our  petition  is  a  lame  and  in- 
effective whim  without  driving  power.  Said  "Chinese"  Gor- 
don :  "I  have  been  thinking  over  our  feelings  and  how  often 
it  is  that  we  are  so  very  insincere  even  in  prayer.  .  .  .  We 
pray  for  power  to  give  up  a  certain  habit,  say  evil  speaking, 
and;  at  the  moment  of  so  praying,  we  have  a  thought  of 
evil  against  some  one,  and  we,  as  it  were,  whisper  to  that 
thought,  'By  and  by  I  will  attend  to  you,  not  now,'  and  we 
go  on  praying  against  the  very  act  we  intend  in  our  hearts 
to  do.  All  this  is  insincere  and  dishonoring." 

O  God,  whose  Spirit  searcheth  all  things,  and  whose  love 
beareth  all  things,  encourage  us  to  draw  near  to  Thee  in 
sincerity  and  in  truth.  Save  us  from  a  worship  of  the  lips 
while  our  hearts  are  far  away.  Save  us  from  the  useless 
labour  of  attempting  to  conceal  ourselves  from  Thee  who 
searchest  the  heart. 

Enable  us  to  lay  aside  all  those  cloaks  and  disguises  which 
we  wear  in  the  light  of  day  and  here  to  bare  ourselves,  with 
all  our  weakness,  disease  and  sin,  naked  to  Thy  sight. 

Make  us  strong  enough  to  bear  the  vision  of  the  truth, 
and  to  have  done  with  all  falsehood,  pretence,  and  hypocrisy, 
so  that  we  may  see  things  as  they  are,  and  fear  no  more. 

Enable  us  to  look  upon  the  love  which  has  borne  with  us 
and  the  heart  that  suffers  for  us.  Help  us  to  acknowledge 
our  dependence  on  the  purity  that  abides  our  uncleanness, 
the  patience  that  forgives  our  faithlessness,  the  truth  that 
forbears  all  our  falsity  and  compromise.  And  may  we  have 
the  grace  of  gratitude,  and  the  desire  to  dedicate  ourselves 
to  Thee.  Amen. — W.  E.  Orchard. 

Second  Day,  Eighth  Week 

Therefore  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  likened  unto  a 
certain  king,  who  would  make  a  reckoning  with  his 
servants.  And  when  he  had  begun  to  reckon,  one  was 
brought  unto  him,  that  owed  him  ten  thousand  talents. 
.  .  .  And  the  lord  of  that  servant,  being  moved  with  com- 
passion, released  him,  and  forgave  him  the  debt.  But 
that  servant  went  out,  and  found  one  of  his  fellow- 
servants,  who  owed  him  a  hundred  shillings:  and  he  laid 
hold  on  him,  and  took  him  by  the  throat,  saying,  Pay 

134 


PRAYER  'AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE     [VIII-2] 

what  thou  pwest.  So  his  fellow-servant  fell  down  and 
besought  him,  saying,  Have  patience  with  me,  and  I 
will  pay  thee.  And  he  would  not:  but  went  and  cast  him 
into  prison,  till  he  should  pay  that  which  was  due.  So 
when  his  fellow-servants  saw  what  was  done,  they  were 
exceeding  sorry,  and  came  and  told  unto  their  lord  all 
that  was  done.  Then  his  lord  called  him  unto  him,  and 
saith  to  him,  Thou  wicked  servant,  I  forgave  thee  all 
that  debt,  because  thou  besoughtest  me:  shouldest  not 
thou  also  have  had  mercy  on  thy  fellow-servant,  even 
as  I  had  mercy  on  thee?  And  his  lord  was  wroth,  and 
delivered  him  to  the  tormentors,  till  he  should  pay  all 
that  was  due.  So  shall  also  my  heavenly  Father  do 
unto  you,  if  ye  forgive  not  every  one  his  brother  from 
your  hearts. — Matt.  18 :  23,  24,  27-35. 

The  unreality  of  our  praying  may  be  illustrated  in  our 
petitions  for  forgiveness.  Nothing  may  be  more  superficial 
than  a  request  for  pardon ;  nothing  can  be  more  searching 
than  a  genuine  experience  of  penitence.  A  boy  who  has 
sinned  and  faces  the  consequence  may  have  a  momentary 
spell  of  regret;  he  naturally  wishes  to  have  the  slate  wiped 
clean.  But  to  be  sincerely  sorry  for  his  evil  itself,  rather 
than  for  its  consequences ;  to  be  ashamed  of  his  failure,  so 
that  he  feels  himself  a  brother  of  all  sinners,  and  like  Richard 
Baxter,  could  say  of  a  murderer  going  to  execution,  "There 
but  for  the  grace  of  God  goes  Richard  Baxter!" — how 
penetrating  an  experience  is  that !  Consider  this  expression 
of  penitence  from  Tagore,  the  Bengali  poet: 

"I  came  out  alone  on  my  way  to  my  tryst.    But  who  is  this 

that  follows  me  in  the  silent  dark? 

J  move  aside  to  avoid  his  presence,  but  I  escape  him  not. 
He  makes  the  dust  rise  from  the  earth  with  his  swagger; 

he  adds  his  loud  voice  to  every  word  that  I  utter. 
He  is  my  own  little  self,  my  lord,  he  knows  no  shame»;  but 

I  am  ashamed  to  come  to  thy  door  in  his  company." 

A  man  so  sincerely  ashamed  of  himself  will  seek  forgive- 
ness and  renewal,  with  a  genuine  desire  that  will  make  his 
supplications  real,  and  by  the  very  vividness  of  his  own  sense 
of  guilt  will  find  it  impossible  to  be  unforgiving  to  any  other 
man.  Read  again  today's  Scripture,  and  consider  the  Mas- 

135 


[VIII-3]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

ter's  insistence  on  that  kind  of  genuineness  in  our  prayers 
for  pardon. 

O  Searcher  of  hearts,  Thou  knowest  us  better  than  we 
know  ourselves,  and  seest  the  sins  which  our  sinfulness  hides 
from  us.  Yet  even  our  own  conscience  beareth  witness 
against  us,  that  we  often  slumber  on  our  appointed  watch; 
that  we  walk  not  always  lovingly  with  each  other,  and  humbly 
with  Thee;  and  we  withhold  that  entire  sacrifice  of  ourselves 
to  Thy  perfect  will,  without  which  we  are  not  crucified  with 
Christ,  or  sharers  in  His  redemption.  Oh,  look  upon  our  con- 
trition, and  lift  up  our  weakness,  and  let  the  dayspring  yet 
arise  within  our  hearts,  and  bring  us  healing,  strength,  and 
joy.  Day  by  day  may  we  .grow  in  faith,  in  self-denial,  in 
charity,  in  heavenly-mindedness.  And  then,  mingle  us  at  last 
with  the  mighty  host  of  Thy  redeemed  for  evermore.  Amen. 
— James  Martineau  (1805-1900). 

Third  Day,  Eighth  Week 

Holy  Father,  keep  them  in  thy  name  which  thou  hast 
given  me,  that  they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are.  While 
I  was  with  them,  I  kept  them  in  thy  name  which  thou 
hast  given  me:  and  I  guarded  them,  and  not  one  of  them 
perished,  but  the  son  of  perdition;  that  the  scripture 
might  be  fulfilled.  But  now  I  come  to  thee;  and  these 
things  I  speak  in  the  world,  that  they  may  have  my  joy 
made  full  in  themselves.  I  have  given  them  thy  word; 
and  the  world  hated  them,  because  they  are  not  of  the 
world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world.  I  pray  not  that 
thou  shouldest  take  them  from  the  world,  but  that  thou 
shouldest  keep  them  from  the  evil  one.  They  are  not  of 
the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world.  Sanctify  them 
in  the  truth:  thy  word  is  truth.  As  thou  didst  send  me 
into  the  world,  even  so  sent  I  them  into  the  world.  And 
For  their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they  themselves 
also  may  be  sanctified  in  truth.  Neither  for  these  only  do 
I  pray,  but  for  them  also  that  believe  on  me  through 
their  word;  that  they  may  all  be  one;  even  as  thou, 
Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be 
in  us:  that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  didst  send 
me. — John  17: 11-21. 

Consider  another  way  in  which  we  pray  insincerely.  We 
go  through  the  form  of  praying  for  our  friends.  It  seems 

136 


PRAYER  AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE     [VII 1-4] 

the  right  thing  to  do,  and  it  gives  us  at  least  a  momentary 
glow  of  unselfishness.  But  the  prayer  does  not  so  rise  from 
a  controlling  desire  for  our  friends'  good,  that  we  can  be 
counted  on  all  that  day  to  be  thoughtful  about  their  needs, 
sensitive  to  their  feelings,  generous  to  their  faults,  glad  of 
their  success,  and  helpful  to  our  utmost  in  their  service.  We 
often  do  not  really  care  enough  about  our  friends,  so  that 
our  supplication  for  them  has  vital  meaning  for  us  and, 
therefore,  for  God.  As  Nolan  Rice  Best  has  expressed  it, 
"Like  the  supreme  court  of  our  land,  the  Supreme  Court 
of  heaven  passes  on  no  hypothetical  matters;  the  petitioner 
must  have  a  real  case  in  order  to  obtain  attention." 

Think  of  the  Master's  love  for  his  disciples,  of  the  ways 
he  revealed  it,  of  the  lengths  to  which  he  willingly  went  in 
being  true  to  it.  The  reality  of  this  intercessory  prayer  in 
John's  seventeenth  chapter  goes  back  to  the  genuineness  of 
the  love  out  of  which  it  came.  The  prayer  actually  repre- 
sented what  the  Master  sacrificially  desired. 

O  blessed  Lord  and  Saviour,  who  hast  commanded  us  to 
love  one  another,  grant  us  grace  that,  having  received  Thine 
undeserved  bounty,  we  may  love  every  man  in  Thee  and  for 
Thee.  We  implore  Thy  clemency  for  at';  but  especially  for 
the  friends  whom  Thy  love  has  given  to  us.  Love  Thou 
them,  O  Thou  fountain  of  love,  and  make  them  to  love  Thee 
with  all  their  heart,  with  all  their  mind,  and  with  all  their  soul, 
that  those  things  only  which  are  pleasing  to  Thee  they  may 
will,  and  speak,  and  do.  And  though  our  prayer  is  cold,  be- 
cause our  charity  is  so  little  fervent,  yet  Thou  art  rich  in 
mercy.  Measure  not  to  them  Thy  goodness  by  the  dulncss  of 
our  devotion;  but  as  Thy  kindness  surpasseth  all  human 
affection,  so  let  Thy  hearing  transcend  our  prayer.  Do  Thou 
to  them  what  is  expedient  for  them,  according  to  Thy  will, 
that  they,  being  always  and  everywhere  ruled  and  protected 
by  Thee,  may  attain  in  the  end  to  everlasting  life;  and  to 
Thee,  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  all  honour  and 
praise  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. — Anselm  (1033-1109). 

Fourth  Day,  Eighth  Week 

If  I  have  withheld  the  poor  from  their  desire, 
Or  have  caused  the  eyes  of  the  widow  to  fail, 
Or  have  eaten  my  morsel  alone, 

137 


[VIII-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

And  the  fatherless  hath  not  eaten  thereof.  .  .  . 

If  I  have  seen  any  perish  for  want  of  clothing, 

Or  that  the  needy  had  no  covering; 

If  his  loins  have  not  blessed  me, 

And  if  he  hath  not  been  warmed  with  the  fleece  of  my 

sheep; 

If  I  have  lifted  up  my  hand  against  the  fatherless, 
Because  I  saw  my  help  in  the  gate: 
Then   let   my   shoulder   fall    from    the    shoulder-blade, 
And  mine  arm  be  broken  from  the  bone. — Job  31 : 16-22. 

When  a  man  can  take  words  like  these  on  his  lips,  as  a 
description  of  his  own  life,  he  is  prepared  sincerely  to  pray 
for  the  poor.  We  often  emphasize  the  fact  that  prayer  is  a 
powerful  builder  of  character;  but  the  other  side  of  the 
truth  is  important,  that  great  character  is  essential  to  great 
praying.  A  man  with  a  small,  mean,  self-indulgent  life 
cannot  genuinely  offer  a  noble  prayer.  This  is  the  meaning 
of  the  saying  that  it  is  easy  to  commit  the  Lord's  Prayer  to 
memory,  but  difficult  to  learn  it  by  heart.  In  any  man's 
entreaty,  no  matter  how  great  the  words,  only  that  much  is 
real  which  is  the  expression  of  his  character,  the  inward 
quality  and  habitual  desire  of  his  life.  When,  therefore,  pity 
leads  us  to  ask  God's  mercy  on  the  poor,  the  value  of  our 
praying  depends  on  the  controlling  power  of  that  good  desire 
in  our  lives.  Does  the  supplication  come  out  of  an  inward 
devotion  that  is  to  us  of  serious  concern?  Can  God  see  in 
our  habitual,  systematic  care  for  the  poor  and  support  of  the 
agencies  that  help  them,  the  proof  of  our  prayer's  sincerity? 

We  beseech  Thee,  Lord  and  Master,  to  be  our  help  and 
succour.  Save  those  -who  are  in  tribulation;  have  mercy  on 
the  lonely;  lift  up  the  fallen;  show  Thyself  unto  the  needy; 
heal  the  ungodly;  convert  the  wanderers  of  Thy  people;  feed 
the  hungry;  raise  up  the  weak;  comfort  the  faint-hearted. 
Let  all  the  peoples  know  that  Thou  art  God  alone,  and  Jesus 
Christ  is  Thy  Son,  and  we  are  Thy  people  and  the  sheep  of 
Thy  pasture;  for  the  sake  of  Christ  Jesus.  Amen. — St. 
Clement  of  Rome  (oo  A.  D.). 

Fifth  Day,  Eighth  Week 

Now  there  were  at  Antioch,  in  the  church  that  was 
there,  prophets  and  teachers,  Barnabas,  and  Symeon  that 

138 


PRAYER  AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE     [VIII-6] 

was  called  Niger,  and  Lucius  of  Cyrene,  and  Manaen  the 
foster-brother  of  Herod  the  tetrarch,  and  Saul.  And  as 
they  ministered  to  the  Lord,  and  fasted,  the  Holy  Spirit 
said,  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work  where- 
unto  I  have  called  them.  Then,  when  they  had  fasted 
and  prayed  and  laid  their  hands  on  them,  they  sent 
them  away.  So  they,  being  sent  forth  by  the  Holy  Spirit,, 
went  down  to  Seleucia;  and  from  thence  they  sailed  to- 
Cyprus. — Acts  13: 1-4. 

Note  how  this  first  missionary  tour  of  Paul  and  his  com- 
panions was  conceived  in  the  spirit  of  prayer  and  furthered 
by  prayer's  power.  We  too  have  prayed  for  missions.  Per- 
haps we  have  personal  friends  on  the  foreign  field  and 
that  fact  has  quickened  our  sense  of  obligation  to  pray  for 
the  Cause.  But  the  plain  fact  often  is  that  while  we  are 
offering  prayers,  we  are  offering  nothing  else.  We  make 
supplication  a  substitute  for  devotion.  We  do  not  give  to 
missions  with  any  deep  sense  of  stewardship,  but  rather 
treat  the  Cause  of  the  Kingdom  as  a  charity,  to  which  an 
occasional  dole  from  our  surplus  is  sufficient.  In  our  inmost 
desires  we  are  not  devotedly  set  on  the  triumph  of  Christ's 
cause,  so  that  we  seek  information  about  missions,  make  as 
generous  gifts  as  we  can,  and  put  personal  service  into 
strengthening  the  church  as  the  "home  base."  In  our  peti- 
tions for  the  missionaries,  how  often,  as  Friar  Lawrence 
phrases  it,  we  are  "fooling  ourselves  with  trivial  devotions." 

O  great  Lord  of  the  harvest,  send  forth,  we  beseech  Thee, 
labourers  into  the  harvest  of  the  world,  that  the  grain  which 
is  even  now  ripe  may  not  fall  and  perish  through  our  neglect. 
Pour  forth  Thy  sanctifying  Spirit  on  our  fellow  Christians 
abroad,  and  Thy  converting  grace  on  those  who  are  living 
in  darkness.  Raise  up,  we  beseech  Thee,  a  devout  ministry 
among  the  native  believers,  that,  all  Thy  people  being  knit 
together  in  one  body,  in  love,  Thy  Church  may  grow  up  into 
the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ;  through 
Him  who  died,  and  rose  again  for  us  all,  the  same  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. — Bishop  Milman  (1791-1868). 

Sixth  Day,  Eighth  Week 

Pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem: 
They  shall  prosper  that  love  thee. 

139 


[VIII-6]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

Peace  be  within  thy  walls, 

And  prosperity  within  thy  palaces. 

For  my  brethren  and  companions'  sakes, 

I  will  now  say,  Peace  be  within  thee. 

For  the  sake  of  the  house  of  Jehovah  our  God 

I  will  seek  thy  good. — Psalm  122:6-9. 

In  the  time  of  a  great  war,  nothing  is  more  natural  than 
prayer  for  peace.  But  of  all  petitions  that  arise  for  peace, 
how  many  represent  deep  and  transforming  devotion  of  the 
life  to  the  cause  of  human  brotherhood?  Men  pray  for 
peace,  and  still  retain  and  express  those  racial  prejudices 
that  are  one  of  the  most  prolific  causes  of  war.  They  ask 
for  human  brotherhood  to  come,  but  they  are  most  un- 
brotherly  to  the  foreigner  within  their  own  communities. 
Women  piously  frame  petitions  in  behalf  of  the  day  when 
there  shall  be  no  "barbarian,  Scythian,  bondman,  freeman; 
but  Christ  is  all,  and  in  all,"  but  all  the  while  they  violate 
every  Christian  principle  in  their  dealings  with  their  servants, 
their  social  inferiors,  or  the  aliens  of  their  city.  Their 
prayers  are  long-range  dreams  that  do  not  touch  their  lives. 
And  least  of  all  do  many  of  us,  when  we  pray  for  peace, 
purge  our  own  hearts  of  that  rancor  that  lies  behind  all 
war.  "Let  all  bitterness,  and  wrath,  and  anger,  and  clamor, 
and  railing,  be  put  away  from  you,  with  all  malice :  and  be 
ye  kind  one  to  another,  tender-hearted,  forgiving  each  other, 
even  as  God  also  in  Christ  forgave  you"  (Eph.  4:31). 

O  Lord,  since  first  the  blood  of  Abel  cried  to  Thee  from  the 
ground  that  drank  it,  this  earth  of  Thine  has  been  defiled  with 
the  blood  of  man  shed  by  his  brother's  hand,  and  the  cen- 
turies sob  with  the  ceaseless  horror  of  war.  Ever  the  pride 
of  kings  and  the  covetousness  of  the  strong  have  driven  peace- 
ful nations  to  slaughter.  Ever  the  songs  of  the  past  and  the 
pomp  of  armies  have  been  used  to  inflame  the  passions  of  the 
people.  Our  spirit  cries  out  to  Thee  in  revolt  against  it,  and 
we  know  that  our  righteous  anger  is  answered  by  Thy  holy 
wrath. 

Break  Thou  the  spell  of  the  enchantments  that  make  the 
nations  drunk  with  the  lust  of  battle  and  draw  them  on  as 
willing  tools  of  death.  Grant  us  a  quiet  and  steadfast  mind 
when  our  own  nation  clamors  for  vengeance  or  aggression. 
Strengthen  our  sense  of  justice  and  our  regard  for  the  equal 

140 


PRAYER  AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE     [VIII-;] 

worth  of  other  peoples  and  races.  Grant  to  the  rulers  of 
nations  faith  in  the  possibility  of  peace  through  justice,  and 
grant  to  the  common  people  a  new  and  stern  enthusiasm  for 
the  cause  of  peace.  Bless  our  soldiers  and  sailors  for  their 
swift  obedience  and  their  willingness  to  answer  to  the  call  of 
duty,  but  inspire  them  none  the  less  with  a  hatred  of  war, 
and  may  they  never  for  love  of  private  glory  or  advancement 
provoke  its  coming.  May  our  young  men  still  rejoice  to  die 
for  their  country  with  the  valor  of  their  fathers,  but  teach 
our  age  nobler  methods  of  matching  our  strength  and  more 
effective  ways  of  giving  our  life  for  the  Hag, 

O  Thou  strong  Father  of  all  nations,  draw  all  Thy  great 
family  together  with  an  increasing  sense  of  our  common 
blood  and  destiny,  that  peace  may  come  on  earth  at  last,  and 
Thy  sun  may  shed  its  light  rejoicing  on  a  holy  brotherhood  of 
peoples. — Walter  Rauschenbusch. 

Seventh  Day,  Eighth  Week 

And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  Naboth  the 
Jezreelite  had  a  vineyard,  which  was  in  Jezreel,  hard  by 
the  palace  of  Ahab  king  of  Samaria.  And  Ahab  spake 
unto  Naboth,  saying,  Give  me  thy  vineyard,  that  I  may 
have  it  for  a  garden  of  herbs,  because  it  is  near  unto  my 
house;  and  I  will  give  thee  for  it  a  better  vineyard  than  it: 
or,  if  it  seem  good  to  thee,  I  will  give  thee  the  worth  of  it 
in  money.  And  Naboth  said  to  Ahab,  Jehovah  forbid  it 
me,  that  I  should  give  the  inheritance  of  my  fathers  unto 
thee.  And  Ahab  came  into  his  house  heavy  and  displeased 
because  of  the  word  which  Naboth  the  Jezreelite  had 
spoken  to  him;  for  he  had  said,  I  will  not  give  thee  the 
inheritance  of  my  fathers.  And  he  laid  him  down  upon  his 
bed,  and  turned  away  his  face,  and  would  eat  no  bread. — 
I  Kings  21 : 1-4. 

Supposing  that  Ahab  had  said  his  prayers  that  night,  would 
it  have  made  much  difference  what  he  said  in  praying? 
Imagine  him  rehearsing  some  formal  petitions  learned  in  his 
childhood ;  would  that  have  been  his  real  prayer?  It  is  clear 
that  Ahab's  demand  on  life  that  night  was  simply  his  covetous 
desire  for  Naboth's  vineyard.  No  formal,  proper,  pious  sup- 
plication addressed  to  God  could  have  hidden  from  the  divine 
insight  this  deeper  fact,  that  what  Ahab  really  wanted  was  his 
neighbor's  field.  Consider  how  often  God  must  so  look 

141 


[VIII-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

through  our  conventionally  proper  petitions,  and  in  our  hearts 
perceive  our  unvoiced  but  controlling  wants — sometimes  as 
mean,  selfish,  covetous  as  Ahab's.  These  are  the  deep  prayers 
of  our  lives — our  hearts  are  set  upon  them — and  God  is  not 
deceived  when  we  tell  him  in  pious  phrases  that  we  wish  his 
blessing.  Let  us  consider  this  week  what  our  hearts  really 
are  set  on,  what  are  our  chief  ambitions  and  desires. 

O  Eternal  God,  sanctify  my  body  and  soul,  my  thoughts  and 
my  intentions,  my  words  and  actions,  that  whatsoever  I  shall 
think,  or  speak,  or  do,  may  be  by  me  designed  for  the  glori- 
fication of  Thy  Name,  and  by  Thy  blessing,  it  may  be  effec- 
tive and  successful  in  the  work  of  God,  according  as  it  can 
be  capable.  Lord,  turn  my  necessities  into  virtue;  the  works 
of  nature  into  the  works  of  grace;  by  making  them  orderly, 
regular,  temperate;  and  let  no  pride  or  self-seeking,  no  covet- 
ousness  or  revenge,  no  little  ends  and  low  imaginations, 
pollute  my  spirit,  and  unhallow  any  of  my  words  and  actions; 
but  let  my  body  be  a  servant  of  my  spirit,  and  both  body 
and  spirit  servants  of  Jesus;  that,  doing  all  things  for  Thy 
glory  here,  I  may  be  partaker  of  Thy  glory  hereafter,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. — Jeremy  Taylor  (1613-1667). 


COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 
I 

Hitherto  we  have  spoken  of  prayer  as  a  definitely  religious 
act.  In  using  the  word  we  thought  of  hearts  bowed  in  the 
presence  of  God ;  we  thought  of  shut  doors,  bent  knees, 
reverent  spirits.  But  in  this  chapter  we  must  sink  down  into 
that  realm  of  human  desire,  which,  like  an  ocean  under 
separate  waves,  lies  beneath  all  specially  religious  petitions. 

At  least  during  the  early  portion  of  this  chapter  we  must 
think  of  prayer  as  quite  separable  from  religion ;  we  must 
ask  not  only  what  our  desires  are  when  we  bow  before  God, 
but  what  our  dominant  aims  are  in  daily  business ;  what  we 
are  really  after  in  our  innermost  ambitions ;  what  is  our 
demand  on  life.  Prayer,  in  this  more  inclusive  sense,  is  the 
settled  craving  of  a  man's  heart,  good  or  bad,  his  inward  love 
and  determining  desire.  When  the  prodigal  in  Jesus'  parable 
said,  "Father,  give  me  the  portion  of  thy  substance  that 

142 


PRAYER  AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE     [VIII-c] 

falleth  to  me,"  he  was  in  a  real  sense  praying.  His  innermost 
ambition  was  there  expressed.  His  heart  was  set  on  gaining 
the  means  that  in  the  end  would  be  his  ruin.  It  was  a  prayer 
resolutely  directed  toward  evil,  but  it  was  prayer.  In  this 
sense,  Columbus'  search  for  America  was  prayer;  Edison's 
long  attempt  to  find  the  secret  of  incandescence  was  prayer; 
Paul's  ambition  to  found  Christian  churches  and  Napoleon's 
ambition  to  rule  Europe  both  were  prayers.  Not  alone  the 
woman  who  pleads  with  the  reluctant  judge  for  justice,  but 
the  prodigal  seeking  from  his  father  the  means  of  dissipation, 
is  praying;  and  any  man  who  after  money  or  fame  or  pleasure 
insistently  directs  his  course,  has  in  his  dominant  desire  the 
prayer  that  shapes  his  life.  We  must  accept  for  a  while 
the  fruitful  definition  which  Mrs.  Browning  gives  us,  "Every 
wish,  with  God,  is  a  prayer." 

II 

One  immediate  result  of  this  point  of  view  is  a  clear  per- 
ception that  everybody  is  praying.  Prayer  regarded  as  a 
definite  act  of  approach  to  God  may  be  shut  out  from  any 
life.  But  prayer  regarded  as  desire,  exercised  in  any  realm 
and  for  anything,  at  once  includes  us  all.  In  this  general 
sense  we  pray  without  ceasing.  We  are  hunger-points  in  the 
universe;  the  elemental  fact  in  every  human  life  is  desire.  To 
a  man  who  disclaims  any  act  of  prayer  we  may  retort,  "Your 
life  is  an  organized  prayer.  Your  body  craves  food,  your 
mind  craves  knowledge,  your  affection  craves  friendship,  your 
spirit  craves  peace  and  hope.  You  do  not  pray?  Rather 
every  stroke  of  work  and  every  purposeful  thought  are 
endeavors  to  satisfy  inward  prayers." 

Ordinarily  prayer  is  regarded  as  the  act  of  a  man's  best 
hours.  But  in  this  deeper  sense  men  pray  in  their  worst 
hours  too.  Prayer  may  be  either  heavenly  or  devilish.  When 
we  think  of  a  man's  dominant  desire  as  in  very  truth  his 
prayer,  we  see  that  Gehazi,  with  covetous  eyes  following 
Naaman  to  filch  his  wealth,  is  praying;  that  David,  with 
licentious  heart  putting  Uriah  at  the  front  of  the  battle,  is 
praying;  that  the  prodigal  seeking  the  means  of  his  own  ruin 
is  praying.  None  ever  found  heaven,  here  or  anywhere, 
without  prayer — the  uplift  of  a  settled  desire  after  God  and 
righteousness.  And  none  ever  found  hell,  here  or  anywhere, 

143 


[VIII-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

without  prayer — the  dead  set  and  insistent  craving  of  the 
heart  after  evil.  In  any  group  of  men,  you  may  not  in  this 
sense  divide  those  who  pray  from  those  who  do  not.  All 
are  praying  the  prayer  of  dominant  desire.  The  great  ques- 
tion is:  what  are  they  after?  what  is  their  demand  on  life? 


Ill 

It  is  to  be  noted,  also,  that  prayer  in  this  sense  is  the 
inward  measure  of  any  man's  quedity.  Living  beings  reveal 
their  grade  in  the  scale  of  existence  by  their  wants.  Inani- 
mate things  want  nothing.  Stones  and  clods  are  undisturbed 
by  any  sense  of  lack.  The  faintest  glimmering  of  life,  how- 
ever, brings  in  the  reign  of  want.  Even  in  some  one-celled 
Amoeba  rolling  about  in  search  of  food,  the  presence  of  life 
means  a  hunger  which  is  the  rudiment  of  prayer.  And  from 
these  dim  beginnings  of  instinctive  need  to  the  spiritual 
demands  of  sage  and  saint,  the  extent  and  quality  of  a  being's 
wants  are  a  good  measure  of  his  life. 

In  the  difference  between  a  savage,  wanting  nothing  but 
nakedness,  a  straw-hut,  and  raw  food  to  content  him,  and 
one  of  us,  demanding  conveniences  that  lay  tribute  on  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  our  material  progress  can  be  measured.  In 
the  difference  between  an  African  dwarf,  with  no  interests 
beyond  his  jungle's  edge,  and  a  modern  scientist  beating  the 
wings  of  his  enquiry  against  the  uttermost  bars  of  the  uni- 
verse, we  can  gauge  our  intellectual  growth.  In  the  difference 
between  a  pagan  with  his  fetish,  and  Paul  saying  of  his  life 
with  Christ,  "I  press  on,"  our  spiritual  enlargement  is 
measured.  The  greater  a  man  is,  the  wider  and  deeper  and 
finer  are  his  desires.  His  prayer  is  the  measure  of  him. 
What  it  takes  to  meet  his  need  is  the  gauge  of  his  size.  Men 
come  into  life  as  they  move  into  strange  cities  and  at  once 
begin  praying.  Some  ask  for  the  city's  places  of  vulgar 
amusement  or  of  vice ;  some  for  the  best  music  and  the  finest 
art;  some  for  low  companionship,  others  for  good  friends; 
and  some  for  the  centers  of  social  service  and  the  temples  of 
God.  So  each  man  prays  and  as  he  prays  he  reveals  his 
quality.  No  mem  can  escape  the  prayer  of  dominant  desire, 
nor  evade  the  inevitable  measurement  of  his  life  by  his 
prayer. 

144 


PRAYER  AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE     [VIII-d 

IV 

This  truth  becomes  very  serious  when  we  face  a  further 
development  of  it:  that  the  prayer  of  dominant  desire  always 
tends  to  attain  its  object.  This  is  true,  in  the  first  place,  be- 
cause a  central  craving  organizes  all  the  faculties  of  our  lives 
about  itself  and  sets  mind  and  hands  to  do  its  bidding.  Of 
the  three  ways  in  which  men  cooperate  with  God,  working, 
thinking,  and  praying,  a  cursory  view  might  suggest  that 
praying  is  a  somewhat  superfluous  addition ;  that,  at  least,  the 
other  two  plainly  belong  first  in  importance.  On  the  contrary 
the  prayer  of  dominant  desire  habitually  precedes  thought 
and  work.  We  think  and  labor  because  in  our  innermost 
heart  we  have  prayed  first,  because  some  Desire  is  in  us, 
calling  to  our  minds,  "Come,  bring  me  this !"  and  ordering  our 
hands,  "Go  bring  me  that!"  Desire  is  the  elemental  force  in 
human  experience. 

A  man  wants  money.  That  is  his  real  demand  on  life — his 
prayer.  How  his  mind,  then,  puts  on  servile  livery  to  wait  on 
his  dominant  desire !  How  quick  his  wit  becomes,  how 
sinewy  his  thought  in  the  service  of  his  prayer  1  Wherever 
men  concentrate  their  wills,  apply  their  minds  and  submit 
to  toil,  back  of  this  visible  consequence  is  dominant  desire. 
If  Bismarck  stops  at  nothing  in  amalgamating  the  German 
Empire,  an  ambition  is  in  the  saddle — "You  may  hang  me," 
he  said,  "so  long  as  the  rope  you  do  it  with  binds  Germany 
to  the  Prussian  throne."  And  if  Burns  writes  incomparable 
Scotch  lyrics,  we  must  trace  his  labor  back  to  his  prayer : 

"E'en  then  a  wish  (I  mind  its  pow'r), 
A  wish  that  to  my  latest  hour 

Shall  strongly  heave  my  breast, 
That  I  for  poor  auld  Scotland's  sake 
Some  usefu'  plan  or  book  could  wake, 

Or  sing  a  song  at  least." 

Dominant  desire  gathers  up  the  scattered  faculties,  concenters 
the  mind,  nerves  the  will,  and  drives  hard  toward  the  issue. 
It  always  tends  to  achieve  its  end.  As  John  Burroughs  put 
it,  "If  you  have  a  thing  in  mind,  it  is  not  long  before  you 
have  it  in  hand." 

This  prayer  of  dominant  desire,  however,  tends  to  achieve 
its  object,  not  merely  because  it  concentrates  the  powers 
within  the  man,  but  because  it  calls  into  alliance  with  it 

145 


[VIII-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

•forces  from  without  the  matt.  Wherever  there  is  low  pres- 
sure in  the  atmosphere,  thither  the  wind  rushes  to  fill  the 
need.  So  the  cravings  of  men  create  low-pressure  areas  and, 
from  without,  help  blows  in  to  the  fulfilment  of  their  desires. 
This  is  easily  illustrated  in  the  social  life,  for  in  every  enter- 
prise now  on  foot  in  the  world,  men  are  endeavoring  to 
supply  other  men's  desires — churches  to  meet  the  desire  for 
worship,  saloons  to  meet  the  craving  for  drink,  schools  to 
supply  the  thirst  for  knowledge.  Behind  every  organization 
lies  a  craving.  Human  wants  are  the  open  bays  that  call  the 
sea  of  human  effort  in. 

This  truth  is  just  as  evident  in  the  life  of  the  individual. 
When  a  man  craves  vicious  pleasure,  low  companions  inevi- 
tably drift  to  him  from  every  side ;  low  books  that  pure  minds 
pass  unobserved,  flow  in  to  satisfy  his  appetite.  His  prayer 
creates  a  call  that  is  answered  by  everything  kindred  to  his 
want.  As  a  whirlwind  catches  up  the  adjacent  air  into  its 
vortex,  so  a  man's  desire  calls  in  the  congenial  forces  of  his 
environment.  To  the  prodigal,  doubtless,  every  evil  influence 
in  the  village  came  by  spiritual  gravitation  to  further  his  evil 
purpose,  until  at  last  his  dominant  desire  drew  his  father  in. 
The  very  patrimony  which  was  meant  to  be  his  blessing  he 
used  in  furtherance  of  his  controlling  passion  until  it  proved 
his  curse.  To  translate  the  story  at  once  into  the  terms  of 
our  experience  with  God,  the  universe  itself  responds  to  a 
man's  insistent  demands  upon  it.  Even  the  forces  of  the 
Spiritual  World  align  themselves,  however  reluctantly,  with  a 
man's  controlling  prayer.  He  can  create  a  back  eddy  in  the 
river  of  God's  will,  and  the  very  waters  that  would  have 
helped  him  go  straight  on,  will  now  swirl  around  his  dominant 
desire. 

Here,  then,  is  one  of  the  most  revealing  and  startling 
aspects  in  which  the  meaning  of  prayer  may  be  considered : 
we  all  are  praying  the  prayer  of  dominant  desire,  our  quality 
is  measured  by  it;  and  because  it  both  engages  in  its  service 
our  inward  powers  and  calls  to  its  furtherance  forces  from 
without,  it  tends  with  certainty  to  achieve  its  end. 

V 

When  from  this  general  consideration  of  prayer  as  desire, 
we  move  up  to  the  more  usual  thought  of  prayer  as  the  soul's 

146 


PRAYER  AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE     [VIII-c] 

definite  approach  to  God,  we  gain  outlooks  on  our  subject  that 
no  other  road  so  well  affords.  We  see  clearly  that  many  of 
the  speeches  addressed  to  God  that  we  have  called  our  prayers 
are  not  real  prayers  at  all.  They  are  not  our  dominant 
desires.  They  do  not  express  the  inward  set  and  determina- 
tion of  our  lives.  What  we  pray  for  in  the  closet  is  not  the 
thing  that  daily  we  are  seeking  with  undiscourageable  craving. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  pray  with  the  lips  for  renewed  character 
and  serviceable  life,  for  social  justice  and  the  triumph  of  the 
Gospel.  The  Bible  shows  us  in  many  a  familiar  passage  what 
we  ought  to  pray  for.  The  liturgies  of  the  churches  too  are 
beautifully  eloquent  with  prayers  that  welled  up  from  sin- 
cerely aspiring  hearts,  and  we  readily  can  frame  petitions  that 
copy  the  letter  of  the  churches'  prayers.  A  man  in  this  super- 
ficial sense  may  gain  the  trick  of  public  supplication.  His 
prayers  are  eloquent  and  beautiful,  they  are  verbal  aspiration 
after  most  worthy  things.  But  as  with  "Solomon's  Prayer" 
at  the  dedication  of  the  temple,  there  is  an  appalling  hiatus 
between  the  requests  publicly  made  and  the  manifest  desires 
of  the  man  who  prays.  Prayer  that  is  not  dominant  desire 
is  too  weak  to  achieve  anything.  Any  loitering  student  can 
cheaply  pray  to  be  learned ;  any  idler  in  the  market  place  can 
pray  to  be  rich ;  any  irresolute  dodger  of  duty  can  pray  for  a 
vigorous  character.  But  such  praying  is  not  really  prayer. 

"Prayer  is  the  soul's  sincere  desire, 

Uttered  or  unexpressed, 
The  motion  of  a  hidden  fire 
That  trembles  in  the  breast." 

This  perception  of  the  nature  of  true  prayer  as  dominant 
'•desire  addressed  to  God,  lights  up  two  important  matters. 
For  one  thing  it  adds  a  significant  contribution  to  our  thought 
on  unanswered  prayer.  It  suggests  that  while  a  man's  out- 
ward petition  may  be  denied,  his  dominant  desire,  which  is 
his  real  prayer,  may  be  granted.  Parents  for  example  pray 
for  their  children's  character  and  usefulness.  They  ask  that 
godliness  and  public-mindedness  may  make  their  sons  and 
daughters  men  and  women  of  spiritual  distinction.  Such 
supplications  are  eminently  worthy;  but  too  often,  proper  as 
they  are,  they  do  not  represent  the  parent's  dominant  desire. 
The  real  wish  that  controls  decisions,  that  creates  the  atmos- 

147 


[VIII-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

phere  of  the  home  and  shapes  the  character  of  the  children, 
is  the  parents'  ambition  for  the  children's  wealth  or  social 
success.  There  lies  the  family's  masterful  craving.  Now  as 
between  the  spoken  prayer  and  the  dominant  desire,  is  there 
any  question  which  will  be  answered?  The  fact  is  that  the 
real  prayer  of  that  family  tends  inevitably  to  be  answered. 
Many  a  man  would  have  to  confess  that  for  all  his  denied 
petition,  he  had  gotten  what  his  heart  was  inwardly  set  upon. 
The  controlling  passion  in  any  life  draws  an  answer,  some- 
times with  appalling  certainty. 

Men  are  given  to  complaining  of  unanswered  prayer,  but 
the  great  disasters  are  due  to  answered  prayers.  The  trouble 
with  men  is  that  so  often  they  do  get  what  they  want.  When 
the  prodigal  in  the  far  country  came  to  himself,  friends  gone, 
reputation  gone,  will-power  almost  gone,  to  find  himself  poor, 
hungry,  feeding  swine,  he  was  suffering  from  the  consequence 
of  an  answered  prayer,  a  dominant  desire  fulfilled.  So  Lot 
wanted  Sodom,  and  got  it ;  Ahab  craved  Naboth's  vinejrard, 
and  seized  it;  Judas  desired  the  thirty  pieces,  and  obtained 
them.  The  Bible  is  full  of  answered  prayers  that  ruined  men. 
The  power  of  dominant  desire  is  terrific.  Again  and  again 
in  history  we  see  the  old  truth  come  true:  "He  gave  them 
their  request,  but  sent  leanness  into  their  soul!"  (Psalm 
106:15). 

"O  Gracious  Lord,  how  blind  we  are, 

On  our  own  ruin  bent ! 
Make  not  thine  answer  to  our  prayer 
Our  bitterest  punishment! 

"For  to  importunate  approach 

Persistent  in  its  wrong, 
Thou  grantest  its  deluded  wish 
To  make  thy  warning  strong." 


VI 

This  perception  of  the  nature  of  prayer  as  dominant  desire 
also  lights  up  one  of  the  most  notable  causes  of  failure  in 
praying — insincerity.  The  Master  laid  reiterated  emphasis 
upon  sincerity  in  prayer.  He  meant  that  the  petition  offered 
must  be  the  genuine  overflow  of  inward  desire.  The  fault  of 

148 


PRAYER  AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE     [VIII-c] 

the  Pharisees  who  prayed  on  the  corners  was  not  that  they 
were  asking  for  unworthy  things.  Their  petitions  were  doubt- 
less excellent,  springing  out  of  scriptural  ideas  and  couched  in 
scriptural  language.  But  the  prayers  did  not  represent  the 
inward  and  determining  wishes  of  the  men.  The  petitions 
were  not  sincere.  The  lives  of  the  Pharisees  blatantly  adver- 
tised that  their  habitual  ambitions  did  not  tally  with  their 
occasional  supplications.  When  the  Master  bids  us  make 
prayer  private,  to  think  of  God  when  we  pray  as  "the  Father 
who  seeth  in  secret,"  to  use  no  futile  and  repetitious  formulas 
but  to  go  at  once  to  the  pith  of  our  want  (Matt.  6:  5ff),  he  is 
making  a  plea  for  sincerity.  Prayer  to  him  is  the  heart,  with 
all  its  most  genuine  and  worthy  desires  aflame,  rising  up  to 
lay  hold  on  God.  It  is  no  affair  of  hasty  words  at  the  fag-end 
of  a  day,  no  form  observed  in  deference  to  custom,  no  sop 
to  conscience  to  ease  us  from  the  sense  of  religious  obliga- 
tions unfulfilled.  Prayer  is  the  central  and  determining  force 
of  a  man's  life.  Prayer  is  dominant  desire,  calling  God  into 
alliance. 

The  fact  that  we  do  not  stand  on  street  corners  to  perform 
our  devotions  ought  not  to  blind  us  to  the  subtle  temptation 
by  which,  even  in  private,  we  are  led  into  theatrical,  insincere 
praying.  We  pray  as  we  think  we  ought  to.  We  ask  for 
blessings  that  we  feel  are  properly  to  be  asked  for,  graces 
that  we  should  want,  whether  we  do  or  not.  We  mask  our- 
selves behind  an  imaginary  personage — ourselves  disguised  in 
court  clothes  and  asking  from  God  the  things  which  we  pre- 
sume God  would  like  to  be  asked  to  give.  We  cry  as  St. 
Augustine  did,  "O  Lord,  make  me  pure" ;  and  then  we  hear  our 
real  self  add  as  his  did,  "but  not  now!"  How  much  such 
praying  there  is  and  how  utterly  ineffective!  It  is  not  real. 
We  have  not  at  the  center  of  our  lives  controlling  desires  so 
worthy  that  we  can  ask  God  to  further  them  and  so  earnest 
that  our  prayers  are  the  spontaneous  utterance  of  their 
urgency. 

In  the  last  chapter  we  spoke  of  such  petitions  as  "Thy 
kingdom  come,"  which  for  nearly  twenty  centuries  has  been 
the  prayer  of  the  church.  But  how  many  have  really  prayed 
it?  In  how  many  has  it  been  the  dominant  desire?  Econo- 
mists describe  what  they  call  "effective  demand."  It  is  the 
demand  of  those  who  not  only  need  commodities,  but  who  are 
willing  and  able  to  pay  the  price.  Only  when  a  petition  be- 

149 


[VIII-s]          THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

comes  an  "effective  demand"  is  it  real  prayer.  When  a  man 
rehearses  all  the  blessings  he  has  prayed  for  himself  and  the 
world,  he  may  well  go  on  to  ask  whether  he  really  wishes  the 
prayers  granted.  Is  he  willing  to  pay  the  price?  The  great 
servants  of  the  Kingdom  in  history  always  have  been  men 
of  prayer  and  the  implication  is  sometimes  suggested  that 
praying  would  make  us  similarly  serviceable.  But  this  essen- 
tial element  should  never  be  forgotten,  that  the  great  servants 
of  the  Kingdom  were  men  of  powerful  prayer  because 
they  were  men  of  dominant  desires  for  whose  fulfilment 
they  were  willing  to  sacrifice  anything.  Paul,  Carey,  Living- 
stone, and  all  their  spiritual  kin  praying  for  the  triumph  of 
Christ  with  all  their  hearts  and  hurling  their  lives  after  their 
prayers ;  St.  Augustine  at  last  really  praying  for  purity,  until 
the  answer  involved  tearing  loose  the  dearest  ties  of  his  past 
life — these  are  examples  of  costly  praying  which  achieves  re- 
sults. This  is  not  prayer  called  in  to  eke  out  what  is  lacking 
in  an  otherwise  contented  life;  this  is  life  centering  in  and 
swung  round  prayer  like  planets  round  the  sun.  Prayer  be- 
comes serious  business  when  it  becomes  dominant  desire.  We 
stand  there  at  life's  center,  at  the  springs  of  its  motive  and 
the  sources  of  its  power. 

A  cursory  reading  of  the  Beatitudes  awakens  surprise  be- 
cause prayer  is  not  mentioned  there.  How  could  the  Master 
sum  up  the  benedictions  of  the  spiritual  life  and  omit  prayer 
from  his  thought?  Turn  to  them  again,  then,  and  read  more 
deeply.  The  Master  put  prayer  into  the  Beatitudes  in  one  of 
the  greatest  descriptions  to  be  found  in  the  Bible :  "Blessed 
are  they  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness :  for  they 
shall  be  filled"  (Matt.  5:6).  Prayer  is  hunger  and  thirst. 
Prayer  is  our  demand  on  life,  elevated,  purified,  and  aware 
of  a  Divine  Alliance. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

What  is  the  relation  bet-ween  prayer  and  a  person's  dominant 
desires  and  purposes? 

How  far  does  prayer  represent  the  real  purpose  and  desire 
of  the  man? 

When  do  the  words  .-spoken  in  prayer  fail  to  represent  the 
real  prayers? 

ISO 


PRAYER  AS  DOMINANT  DESIRE    [VIII-s] 

How  far  can  a  man's  character  be  measured  by  his  prayers? 
What   is   the   difference   between   outward   petition   and    a 
dominant  desire  of  a  life? 

What  effect  upon  the  answer  to  prayer  has  a  person's  domi- 
nant desire? 

Can  prayer  which  does  not  represent  dominant  desire  be  an- 
swered? Why  or  why  not? 

What  made  the  difference  in  the  prayer  for  forgiveness  of 
the  servant  who  owed  ten  thousand  talents  and  the  one  who 
owed  one  hundred  shillings?  When  has  a  person  a  right  to 
expect  an  answer  to  a  prayer  for  forgiveness? 

How  far  was  the  first  missionary  tour  of  Paul  the  result 
of  prayer?  What  is  the  difference  between  offering  a  prayer 
for  missions  and  offering  ourselves? 

When  is  a  nation's  prayer  for  peace  sincere?  To  ^what 
extent  does  prejudice  against  other  classes  and  nations  inter- 
fere with  an  effective  prayer  for  peace? 

When  are  we  justified  in  praying  for  the  poor?  for  our 
friends?  for  forgiveness?  for  world  brotherhood?  for  mis- 
sions? 

Are  all  prayers  representing  dominant  desire  answered? 

When  is  prayer  sincere? 

Why  did  the  Master  denounce  the  prayers  of  the  Pharisees? 

Why  does  lack  of  time  for  meditation  make  for  insincerity 
in  prayer? 

When  does  a  person  really  pray  "Thy  kingdom  come  i 

What  is  the  relation  of  procrastination  to  the  inefficacy  of 
prayer?  .  . 

What  light  do  the  Beatitudes  throw  upon  the  prerequisite 
answered  prayer? 

What  makes  the  difference  between  a  petition  addressed 
God  and  a  sincere  prayer? 

What  makes  for  insincerity  in  prayer? 

What  is  the  relation  of  dominant  desire  to  sincerity  in 
prayer  ? 

How  can  I  make  my  prayers  sincerely  represent  my  dominant 
desires? 


CHAPTER  IX 

Prayer  as  a  Battlefield 

DAILY  READINGS 


First  Day,  Ninth  Week 

Behold,  thou  desirest  truth  in  the  inward  parts; 

And   in   the   hidden   part   thou   wilt   make   me   to   know 

wisdom. 

Purify  me  with  hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  clean: 
Wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow. 
Make  me  to  hear  joy  and  gladness, 
That  the  bones  which  thou  hast  broken  may  rejoice. 
Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins, 
And  blot  out  all  mine  iniquities. 
Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God; 
And  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me. 
Cast  me  not  away  from  thy  presence; 
And  take  not  thy  holy  Spirit  from  me. 
Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salvation; 
And  uphold  me  with  a  willing  spirit. 
Then  will  I  teach  transgressors  thy  ways; 
And  sinners  shall  be  converted  unto  thee. — Psalm  51:6-13. 

The  Psalmist  is  praying  here  for  a  cleansed  and  empowered 
personality.  The  secret  place  where  he  first  offered  these 
entreaties  must  have  been  to  him  a  battlefield.  There  took 
place  those  inner  struggles  on  whose  issue  moral  purity  and 
power  depend.  Prayer  is  the  innermost  form  of  the  fight  for 
character.  As  Clement  of  Alexandria  in  the  second  cen- 
tury, put  it,  "The  aim  of  prayer  is  to  attain  the  habit  of 
goodness,  so  as  no  longer  merely  to  have  the  things  that  are 
good,  but  rather  to  be  good,"  and  in  our  generation  George 
Meredith  restates  the  same  truth,  "Who  rises  from  his 

152 


PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [IX-2] 

prayer  a  better  man,  his  prayer  is  answered."  The  pro- 
Roundest  need  of  the  world  is  clean,  strong,  devoted  person- 
ality. We  are  poor  there — not  in  material  prosperity  or 
organizing  skill  or  intellectual  ingenuity,  but  in  radiant,  in- 
fectious, convincing  personality.  The  real  poverty  is  poverty 
of  character,  and  that  is  due  in  how  large  a  measure  to  the 
lack  of  those  spiritual  disciplines  and  fellowships  which  are 
included  in  genuine  prayer !  Let  us  consider  this  week  the 
service  of  prayer  as  an  inner  battlefield  on  which  the  issues 
of  character  are  settled. 

O  God,  make  perfect  my  love  toward  Thee  and  to  my 
Redeemer  and  Justifier;  give  me  a  true  and  unfeigned  love 
to  all  virtue  and  godliness,  and  to  all  Thy  chosen  people 
wheresoever  they  be  dispersed  throughout  all  the  world;  in- 
crease in  me  strength  and  victory  against  all  temptations  and 
assaults  of  the  flesh,  the  world,  and  the  devil,  that  according 
to  Thy  promise  I  be  never  further  proved  or  tempted  than 
Thou  wilt  give  me  strength  to  overcome.  Give  me  grace  to 
keep  a  good  conscience;  give  me  a  pure  heart  and  mind,  and 
renew  a  right  spirit  within  me.  Amen. — Christian  Prayers 
(1556). 

Second  Day,  Ninth  Week 

And  at  even,  when  the  sun  did  set,  they  "brought  unto 
him  all  that  were  sick,  and  them  that  were  possessed 
with  demons.  And  all  the  city  was  gathered  together  at 
the  door.  And  he  healed  many  that  were  sick  with  divers 
diseases,  and  cast  out  many  demons;  and  he  suffered  not 
the  demons  to  speak,  because  they  knew  him.  And  in  the 
morning,  a  great  while  before  day,  he  rose  up  and  went 
out,  and  departed  into  a  desert  place,  and  there  prayed. 
And  Simon  and  they  that  were  with  him  followed  after 
him;  and  they  found  him,  and  say  unto  him,  All  are  seek- 
ing thee.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Let  us  go  elsewhere 
into  the  next  towns,  that  I  may  preach  there  also;  for 
to  this  end  came  I  forth.  And  he  went  into  their  syna- 
gogues throughout  all  Galilee,  preaching  and  casting  out 
demons. — Mark  i :  32-39. 

Was  not  this  solitary  prayer  of  the  Master  a  battle  for 
courage  and  strength  to  go  on?  It  came  between  the  crush- 

153 


[IX-3J  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

ing  labors  of  Capernaum  and  the  preaching  tour  that  lay 
ahead;  it  came  at  a  time  when  the  storm  of  the  Pharisees' 
wrath  was  gathering.  If  the  Master  needed  the  courage  that 
comes  in  solitary  prayer,  can  we  well  dispense  with  it? 
Many  lives  would  be  incalculably  strengthened,  their  tone 
would  be  changed  from  anxious  timidity  to  power,  if  they 
would  learn  the  secret  of  this  inner  fellowship.  It  is  said 
that  Napoleon  before  a  great  battle  would  stand  alone  in 
his  tent,  and  one  by  one  the  marshals  and  commanders  of 
his  armies  would  enter,  grasp  his  hand  in  silence,  and  go 
out  again — fired  with  a  new  courage  and  resolute  in  a  new 
willingness  to  die  for  France.  Some  such  effect  those  souls 
have  felt  who  have  learned  the  secret  of  prayer's  power. 

O  Thou,  who  art  the  ever-blessed  God,  the  underlying 
Peace  of  the  world,  and  who  wouldst  draw  all  men  into  the 
companionship  of  Thy  joy;  speak,  we  beseech  Thee,  to  this 
Thy  servant,  for  whom  we  pray.  Take  him  by  the  hand 
and  say  unto  him,  "Fear  not;  for  I  am  with  thee.  I  have 
called  thee  by  my  name;  thou  art  mine."  Put  such  a  spirit 
of  trust  within  him  that  all  fear  and  foreboding  shall  be  cast 
out,  and  that  right  reason  and  calm  assurance  may  rule  his 
thoughts  and  impulses.  Let  quietness  and  confidence  be  his 
strength.  Reveal  to  him  the  vision  of  a  universe  guided  and 
governed  by  Thy  wise  and  loving  care;  and  show  him  that 
around  and  about  him  are  Thy  unseen  and  beneficent  powers. 
Lift  up  his  whole  being  into  communion  with  Thy  life  and 
thought.  Let  him  ever  remember  that  Thou  dost  not  give 
to  any  the  spirit  of  fearfulness,  but  a  spirit  of  power  and 
love  and  self-mastery.  In  this  faith,  grant,  O  Lord,  that  he 
may  summon  the  energies  of  his  soul  against  the  miseries  that 
cast  him  down.  Give  him  courage,  confidence,  an  untroubled 
heart,  and  a  love  that  loves  all  creatures,  great  and  small,  for 
Thy  love's  sake.  Amen. — Samuel  McComb. 

Third  Day,  Ninth  Week 

Finally,  be  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  strength  of 
his  might.  Put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may 
be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For 
our  wrestling  is  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against 
the  principalities,  against  the  powers,  against  the  world- 

154 


PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [IX-3] 

rulers  of  this  darkness,  against  the  spiritual  hosts  of 
wickedness  in  the  heavenly  places.  Wherefore  take  up 
the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  withstand 
in  the  evil  day,  and,  having  done  all,  to  stand.  Stand 
therefore,  having  girded  your  loins  with  truth,  and  having 
put  on  the  breastplate  of  righteousness,  and  having  shod 
your  feet  with  the  preparation  of  the  gospel  of  peace; 
withal  taking  up  the  shield  of  faith,  wherewith  ye  shall 
be  able  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the  evil  one. 
And  take  the  helmet  of  salvation,  and  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God:  with  all  prayer  and 
supplication  praying  at  all  seasons  in  the  Spirit,  and 
watching  thereunto  in  all  perseverance  and  supplication 
for  all  the  saints. — Eph.  6: 10-18. 

Note  the  surprising  conclusion  of  this  warlike  passage. 
The  man  is  armed  for  conflict  and  then  the  climax  reads 
"with  all  prayer  .  .  .  praying."  To  the  Apostle  prayer  evidently 
has  a  warlike  aspect.  He  is  writing  this  passage  in  prison, 
where  he  needs  fortitude  to  endure.  In  prayer  he  finds  the 
battlefield  where  he  fights  his  fears  and  gains  enduring 
power  that  he  may  be  able,  "having  done  all,  to  stand."  How 
many  people  weakly  give  way  in  the  face  of  trouble,  lose 
their  spirit,  fall  into  self-pity,  and  refuse  to  join  that  great 
succession  of  God's  people  who  have  proved  by  the  way  they 
handled  their  troubles,  even  more  than  by  the  way  they 
handled  their  talents,  what  God  can  do  for  a  man  of  faith  1 
It  is  said  that  in  a  newly  invented  vacuum  furnace  every- 
thing in  a  log  of  wood  that  is  destructible  can  be  consumed, 
leaving  only  an  irreducible  minimum  that  man's  skill  is  not 
yet  great  enough  to  burn.  And  we  are  told  that  that  in- 
destructible remainder  is  pure  carbon,  every  bit  of  which  the 
tree  took  from  the  sunlight  through  the  leaves.  Many  may 
think  of  prayer  as  a  strange  way  of  gaining  power  to  endure, 
but  the  indestructible  elements  of  the  soul,  that  cannot  be 
crushed  or  consumed  by  adversity,  do  come  from  our  spiritual 
fellowship  with  God. 

Consider  this  prayer  of  Lady  Jane  Grey  in  her  last  im- 
prisonment : 

O  Merciful  God,  be  Thou  now  unto  me  a  strong  tower  of 
defence,  I  humbly  entreat  Thee.  Give  me  grace  to  await 
Thy  leisure,  and  patiently  to  bear  what  Thou  doest  unto  me; 

155 


[IX-4]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

nothing  doubting  or  mistrusting  Thy  goodness  towards  me; 
for  Thou  knowest  what  is  good  for  me  better  than  I  do. 
Therefore  do  with  me  in  all  things  what  Thou  wilt;  only 
arm  me,  I  beseech  Thee,  with  Thine  armour,  that  I  may 
stand  fast;  above  all  things,  taking  to  me  the  shield  of  faith; 
praying  always  that  I  may  refer  myself  wholly  to  Thy  will, 
abiding  Thy  pleasure,  and  comforting  myself  in  those  troubles 
which  it  shall  please  Thee  to  send  me,  seeing  such  troubles 
are  profitable  for  me;  and  I  am  assuredly  persuaded  that  all 
Thou  doest  cannot  but  be  well;  and  unto  Thee  be  all  honour 
and  glory.  Amen. — Lady  Jane  Grey  (I537-I554). 

Fourth  Day,  Ninth  Week 

Then  was  Jesus  led  up  of  the  Spirit  into  the  wilderness 
to  be  tempted  of  the  devil.  And  when  he  had  fasted 
forty  days  and  forty  nights,  he  afterward  hungered. 
And  the  tempter  came  and  said  unto  him,  If  thou  art 
the  Son  of  God,  command  that  these  stones  become 
bread.  But  he  answered  and  said,  It  is  written,  Man 
shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that 
proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God.  Then  the  devil 
taketh  him  into  the  holy  city;  and  he  set  him  on  the 
pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and  saith  unto  him,  If  thou  art 
the  Son  of  God,  cast  thyself  down:  for  it  is  written, 

He  shall  give  his  angels  charge  concerning  thee: 
and, 

On  their  hands  they  shall  bear  thee  up, 
Lest  haply  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone. 
Jesus  said  unto  him,  Again  it  is  written,  Thou  shalt  not 
make  trial  of  the  Lord  thy  God.  Again,  the  devil  taketh 
him  unto  an  exceeding  high  mountain,  and  showeth  him 
all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  the  glory  of  them; 
and  he  said  unto  him,  All  these  things  will  I  give  thee, 
if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me.  Then  saith  Jesus 
unto  him,  Get  thee  hence,  Satan:  for  it  is  written,  Thou 
shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt 
thou  serve.  Then  the  devil  leaveth  him;  and  behold, 
angels  came  and  ministered  unto  him. — Matt.  4:  i-n. 

These  verses  are  the  record  of  an  inward  struggle  in 
which  the  Master  fought  out  the  purpose  of  his  life.  The 
use  of  Scripture,  the  continual  reference  in  Jesus'  words  to 
God  and  God's  claims  on  men,  indicate  the  atmosphere  of 

156 


PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [IX-5] 

devotion  in  which  this  battle  was  fought.  Do  we  deal  with 
our  temptations  in  this  high  way?  Consider  our  besetting 
sins — temper,  passion,  irreverence  or  whatever  other  form 
of  self-will  we  may  most  easily  fall  into,  and  think  of  the 
ways  the  habitual  use  of  inward  prayer  would  help  us. 
How  an  improper  story  or  a  mean  judgment  withers  on 
our  lips  if  a  fine,  high-minded  personality  happens  to  join 
the  circle  1  And  what  a  cleansing  effect  takes  place  in  oar 
lives  if  we  grow  accustomed  to  usher  God  upon  the  scene 
when  uncleanness  or  ill-temper  or  self-will  appears !  Grad- 
ually but  surely  those  feelings  and  thoughts  which  are  not 
comfortable  when  God  is  present  disappear.  The  life  grows 
clear  of  those  tempers  and  attitudes  that  make  spontaneous 
prayer  impossible.  "The  devil  leaveth  him." 

O  Thou,  who  proclaimest  liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the 
opening  of  the  prisons  to  them  that  are  bound;  we  rejoice 
that  Thou  hast  brought  the  soul  of  this  Thy  servant  out  of 
prison  that  he  might  praise  Thy  name.  Thou  didst  inspire 
him  with  pure  desires.  Thou  didst  rouse  him  again  and 
again  from  despair  and  didst  sustain  him  in  the  fight  for 
freedom.  And  now  we  bless  Thee  that  Thou  hast  crowned 
his  efforts  with  success.  Abide  with  him  and  in  him  that 
henceforth  he  may  bear  the  fruits  of  good  living.  So  fill 
him  with  love  and  holiness,  with  courage  and  trust,  that 
through  all  the  coming  days  temptation  will  lose  its  power. 
Let  the  dead  past  bury  its  dead.  Go  with  him  into  the  new 
world  of  joy  and  peace  and  health.  Inspire  him  with  the 
resolve  to  do  something  for  Thy  sake,  to  tell  another  im- 
prisoned soul  what  great  things  Thou  hast  done  that,  if  it 
please  Thee,  he  may  have  a  double  joy.  Hear  our  thanks- 
giving and  bless  us  through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.  Amen. 
— Samuel  McComb. 

Fifth  Day,  Ninth  Week 

Is  any  among  you  suffering?  let  him  pray.  Is  any 
cheerful?  let  him  sing  praise.  Is  any  among  you  sick? 
let  him  call  for  the  elders  of  the  church;  and  let  them 
pray  over  him,  anointing  him  with  oil  in  the  name_  of  the 
Lord:  and  the  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  him  that  is  sick, 
and  the  Lord  shall  raise  him  up;  and  if  he  have  com- 
mitted sins,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him.  Confess  therefore 

157 


[IX-6]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

your  sins  one  to  another,  and  pray  one  for  another,  that 
ye  may  be  healed.  The  supplication  of  a  righteous  man 
availeth  much  in  its  working. — James  5:13-16. 

Never  more  than  in  our  day  has  the  wisdom  of  this  ancient 
advice  been  clear.  Prayer  is  the  inner  battlefield  -where  men 
often  conquer  most  effectually  the  false  worries,  trivial 
anxieties,  morbid  humors  and  all  the  unwholesome  specters 
of  the  mind  that  irritate  the  spirit  and  make  the  body  ill. 
There  they  learn  Paul's  lesson,  "In  nothing  be  anxious ;  but  in 
everything  by  prayer  and  supplication  with  thanksgiving  let 
your  requests  be  made  known  unto  God.  And  the  peace  of 
God,  which  passeth  all  understanding,  shall  guard  your  hearts 
and  your  thoughts  in  Christ  Jesus"  (Phil.  4:6,  7).  Dr. 
Hyslop,  Superintendent  of  Bethlehem  Royal  Hospital,  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  British  Medical  Association  in 
1905,  said :  "As  an  alienist,  and  one  whose  whole  life  has 
been  concerned  with  the  sufferings  of  the  mind,  I  would  state 
that  of  all  hygienic  measures  to  counteract  disturbed,  sleep- 
depressed  spirits,  and  all  the  miserable  sequels  of  a  dis- 
tressed mind,  I  would  undoubtedly  give  the  first  place  to  the 
simple  habit  of  prayer." 

Ever  Blessed  God,  whose  word  is,  "Peace,  peace  to  him 
that  is  far  off  and  to  him  that  is  near,"  fulfil  Thy  promise  to 
this  Thy  servant  for  whom  we  pray.  Rescue  him  from  the 
misery  of  groundless  fears  and  restless  anxieties.  Take  him 
more  and  more  out  of  himself,  that  duty  may  be  no  longer  a 
drudgery  but  a  delight.  Lead  him  into  the  secret  of  Thy 
peace  which  quiets  every  misgiving  and  fills  the  heart  with 
joy  and  confidence.  Save  him  from  the  shame  and  emptiness 
of  a  hurried  life.  Grant  him  to  possess  his  soul  in  patience. 
Amid  the  storms  and  stress  of  life,  let  him  hear  a  deeper 
voice  assuring  him  that  Thou  livest  and  that  all  is  well. 
Strengthen  him  to  do  his  daily  work  in  quietness  and  confi- 
dence, fearing  no  tomorrow,  nor  the  evil  that  it  brings,  for 
Thou  art  with  him.  And  this  we  ask  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 
Amen. — Samuel  McComb. 

Sixth  Day,  Ninth  Week 

And  he  went  forward  a  little,  and  fell  on  his  face,  and 
prayed,  saying,  My  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup 

158 


.    PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [IX-6] 

pass  away  from  me:  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as 
thou  wilt. — Matt.  26:39. 

Again  a  second  time  he  went  away,  and  prayed,  saying, 
My  Father,  if  this  cannot  pass  away,  except  I  drink  it, 
thy  will  be  done. — Matt.  26:42. 

And  he  said,  Abba,  Father,  all  things  are  possible  unto 
thee;  remove  this  cup  from  me:  howbeit  not  what  I 
will,  but  what  thou  wilt. — Mark  14:36. 

Father,  if  thou  be  willing,  remove  this  cup  from  me: 
nevertheless  not  my  will,  but  thine,  be  done. — Luke  22 :  42. 

Consider  the  battlefield  of  Gethsemane.  Was  there  ever 
a  more  eventful  engagement  than  that?  It  was  a  struggle 
for  clear  vision  to  see  and  strength  to  do  the  will  of  God. 
Peter  Annet,  an  old  Deist,  used  to  say  that  praying  men 
are  like  sailors  who  have  cast  anchor  on  a  rock,  and  who 
imagine  they  are  pulling  the  rock  to  themselves,  when  they 
are  really  pulling  themselves  to  the  rock.  But  that  is  a 
caricature  of  what  praying  men  at  their  best  think.  The 
Master  here  was  deliberately  trying  to  pull  himself  to  the 
rock.  That  was  the  objective  of  the  struggle  in  the  garden. 
The  will  of  God  was  settled ;  he  wanted  clearly  to  see  it 
and  strongly  to  be  apprehended  by  it,  and  he  called  God  in 
to  fight  the  narrower  self  will  that  opposed  the  larger  devo- 
tion. What  a  deep  experience  such  praying  brings  into  any 
life  that  knows  it !  As  Phillips  Brooks  exclaimed :  "God's 
mercy  seat  is  no  mere  stall  set  by  the  vulgar  road  side, 
where  every  careless  passer-by  may  put  an  easy  hand  out 
to  snatch  any  glittering  blessing  that  catches  his  eye.  It 
stands  in  the  holiest  of  holies.  We  can  come  to  it  only 
through  veils  and  by  altars  of  purification.  To  enter  into 
it,  we  must  enter  into  God." 

O  God,  who  hast  in  mercy  taught  us  how  good  it  is  to 
follow  the  holy  desires  which  Thou  manifoldly  puttest  into 
our  hearts,  and  how  bitter  is  the  grief  of  falling  short  of 
whatever  beauty  our  minds  behold,  strengthen  us,  we  be- 
seech Thee,  to  walk  steadfastly  throughout  life  in  the  better 
path  which  our  hearts  once  chose;  and  give  us  wisdom  to 
tread  it  prudently  in  Thy  fear,  as  well  as  cheerfully  in  Thy 
love;  so  that,  having  been  faithful  to  Thee  all  the  days  of 
our  life  here,  we  may  be  able  hopefully  to  resign  ourselves 

159 


[IX-7]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

into  Thy  hands  hereafter.    Amen. — Rowland  Williams  (1818- 
1870). 

Seventh  Day,  Ninth  Week 

And  I  said,  O  my  God,  I  am  ashamed  and  blush  to  lift 
up  my  face  to  thee,  my  God;  for  our  iniquities  are  in- 
creased over  our  head,  and  our  guiltiness  is  grown  up 
unto  the  heavens.  Since  the  days  of  our  fathers  we  have 
been  exceeding  guilty  unto  this  day;  and  for  our  iniqui- 
ties have  we,  our  kings,  and  our  priests,  been  delivered 
into  the  hand  of  the  kings  of  the  lands,  to  the  sword,  to 
captivity,  and  to  plunder,  and  to  confusion  of  face,  as  it 
is  this  day.  .  .  .  And  now,  O  our  God,  what  shall  we  say 
after  this?  for  we  have  forsaken  thy  commandments  .  .  . 
And  after  all  that  is  come  upon  us  for  our  evil  deeds, 
and  for  our  great  guilt,  seeing  that  thou  our  God  hast 
punished  us  less  than  our  iniquities  deserve,  and  hast 
given  us  such  a  remnant,  shall  we  again  break  thy  com- 
mandments .  .  .  ?  O  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  thou 
art  righteous;  for  we  are  left  a  remnant  that  is  escaped, 
as  it  is  this  day:  behold,  we  are  before  thee  in  our 
guiltiness;  for  none  can  stand  before  thee  because  of 
this. — Ezra  9:6,  7,  10,  13-15. 

See  how  plainly  the  concern  with  which  this  prayer  is 
burdened  is  the  character  of  the  people.  Ezra's  interest  as 
he  prays  is  moral;  he  wants  transformed  life,  cleansed 
personality,  empowered  manhood,  social  righteousness.  This 
week  we  have  been  noting  some  special  aspects  of  this 
central  objective  in  prayer.  We  have  seen  how  moral  courage, 
fortitude,  power  in  temptation,  spiritual  poise  and  clear 
vision  of  God's  will,  may  all  be  won  upon  the  inner  battle- 
field of  prayer.  Consider  the  vitality  that  such  a  use  of 
prayer  puts  into  the  religious  life.  It  involves  making  God  an 
actual  partner  in  our  moral  struggle;  it  fills  our  religion  with 
practical  significance.  Gladstone,  in  a  letter  to  the  Duchess 
of  Sutherland,  wrote:  "There  is  one  proposition  which  the 
experience  of  life  burns  into  my  soul ;  it  is  this,  that  a 
man  should  beware  of  letting  his  religion  spoil  his  morality. 
In  a  thousand  ways,  some  great,  some  small,  but  all  subtle, 
we  are  daily  tempted  to  that  great  sin."  The  sort  of  praying 
described  in  this  chapter  is  the  most  efficient  guard  against 

160 


PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [IX-c] 

that  evil.  It  makes  the  center  of  religion  a  fight  for  char- 
acter. 

Strong  Son  of  God,  who  -was  tried  and  tempted  to  the 
uttermost,  yet  -without  sin;  be  near  me  now  with  Thy 
strength  and  give  me  the  victory  over  this  evil  desire  that 
threatens  to  ruin  me.  I  am  weak,  O  Lord,  and  full  of  doubts 
and  fears.  There  are  moments  when' I  am  afraid  of  myself, 
when  the  world  and  the  flesh  and  the  devil  seem  more  power- 
ful than  the  forces  of  good.  But  now  I  look  to  Thee  in 
whom  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  grace  and  might  and  re- 
demption. Blessed  Saviour!  I  take  Thee  afresh  to  be  my 
Refuge,  my  Covert,  my  Defence,  my  strong  Tower  from  the 
enemy.  Hear  me  and  bless  me  now  and  ever.  Amen. — 
Samuel  McComb. 

COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 

I 

If  we  define  praying  as  "Communion  with  God,"  we  natu- 
rally think  of  it  as  fellowship  with  a  friend,  and  so  emphasize 
its  peaceful  aspect.  When  Robert  Burns  bewailed  the  fact 
that  he  could  not  "pour  out  his  inmost  soul  without  reserve 
to  any  human  being  without  danger  of  one  day  repenting  his 
confidence,"  he  expressed  a  need  which  is  met  in  the  lives  of 
those  who  habitually  commune  with  God.  Prayer  means 
restfulness,  quietude;  men  come  from  it  saying, 

"And  I  smiled  to  think  God's  greatness  flowed  around  our 

incompleteness ; 
Round  our  restlessness,  his  rest." 

As  Jeremy  Taylor  described  it,  "Prayer  is  the  peace  of  our 
spirit,  the  stillness  of  our  thoughts,  the  evenness  of  our  recol- 
lection." 

Now,  praying  is  all  of  this,  but  none  can  think  of  it  as 
dominant  desire  without  seeing  that  it  is  more.  Prayer  is  a 
battlefield.  When  a  man,  hungering  and  thirsting  after 
righteousness,  calls  God  into  alliance,  he  does  so  because  he 
has  a  fight  on  his  hands.  He  may  have  set  his  heart  in 
dominant  desire  on  goodness,  but  that  desire  meets  enemies 

161 


[IX-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

« 

that  must  be  beaten.  "No  man  ever  became  a  saint  in  his 
sleep."  From  without,  the  influences  of  the  world  assail  his 
best  ambitions ;  from  within,  the  perverse  inclinations  of  his 
own  heart  make  war  on  his  right  resolutions.  A  fight  is  on  in 
every  aspiring  life.  Sometimes,  like  the  captain  of  a  ship  in 
mid-sea  with  a  tempest  raging  and  his  own  crew  in  rebellion, 
a  man  must  at  once  steady  his  course  amid  outward  tempta- 
tions, and  hold  a  pistol  at  the  head  of  his  mutinous  desires. 
No  one  in  earnest  about  goodness  has  ever  succeeded  in  de- 
scribing the  achievement  of  goodness  except  in  terms  of  a 
fight.  "The  flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit 
against  the  flesh,"  says  Paul,  "I  buffet  my  body,  and  bring  it 
into  bondage." 

In  this  moral  battle,  as  in  every  other,  the  decisive  part  of 
the  engagement  is  not  public  and  ostentatious;  it  is  in  secret. 
Long  before  the  armies  clash  in  the  open  field,  there  has 
been  a  conflict  in  the  general's  office,  where  pro  met  con,  and 
the  determinations  were  reached  that  controlled  each  move- 
ment of  the  outward  war.  Even  in  law,  "Cases  are  won  in 
chambers."  So,  in  the  achievement  of  character  there  is  a 
hidden  battlefield  en  which  the  decisive  conflicts  of  the  world 
are  waged.  Behind  the  Master's  public  ministry,  through 
which  he  moved  with  such  amazing  steadfastness,  not  to  be 
deflected  by  bribes,  nor  halted  by  fears,  nor  discouraged  by 
weariness,  lay  the  battles  in  the  desert  where  he  fought  out 
in  prayer  the  controlling  principles  of  his  life.  Behind  his 
patience  in  Pilate's  Court,  and  his  fidelity  on  Calvary,  lay  the 
battle  in  Gethsemane,  where  the  whole  problem  was  fought 
through  and  the  issue  settled  before  the  face  of  God.  All 
public  consequences  go  back  to  secret  conflicts.  Napoleon 
sat  for  hours  in  silent  thought  before  he  ordered  the  Russian 
Campaign.  Washington,  praying  at  Valley  Forge,  was  settling 
questions  on  which  the  independence  of  his  country  hung. 
We  are  deceived  by  the  garish  stage-settings  of  big  scenes 
in  history.  The  really  great  scenes  are  seldom  evident. 
The  decisive  battles  of  the  world  are  hidden,  and  all  the 
outward  conflicts  are  but  the  echo  and  reverberation  of  that 
more  real  and  inward  war. 

To  be  sure,  prayer,  which  at  its  best  is  thus  a  fight  for  char- 
acter, can  be  perverted  to  the  hurt  of  character.  Because  cer- 
tain temperaments  are  so  constituted  that  they  can  experience 
a  high  degree  of  tranquil  peace,  and  sometimes  ecstatic  de- 

162 


PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [iX-cj 

light,  in  protracted  communion  with  God,  the  exaggerations 
of  the  mystic  are  always  possible.  "I  made  many  mistakes," 
said  Madame  Guyon,  "through  allowing  myself  to  be  too  much 
taken  up  by  my  interior  joys."  Nothing  so  hurts  genuine 
piety  as  that  spurious  piety  which  is  expressed,  at  its  extreme 
limit,  in  the  words  of  the  Blessed  Angela  of  Fulginio,  "In 
that  time  and  by  God's  will  there  died  my  mother,  who  was 
a  great  hindrance  unto  me  in  following  the  way  of  God : 
my  husband  died  likewise,  and  in  a  short  time  there  also  died 
all  my  children.  And  because  I  had  commenced  to  follow  the 
aforesaid  Way,  and  had  prayed  God  that  he  would  rid  me 
of  them,  I  had  great  consolation  of  their  deaths,  albeit  I  did 
also  feel  some  grief."  The  worst  enemies  of  prayer  are 
those  who  thus  speak  much  of  it  and  revel  much  in  it, 
but  whose  lives  exhibit  in  ordinary  relationships  little  of  the 
trustworthiness,  the  "plain  devotedness  to  duty,"  the  thought- 
ful generosity  and  large-heartedness,  which  are  the  proper 
fruits  of  real  communion  with  God.  Jesus  himself  called  his 
enraptured  disciples  away  from  the  Mount  of  Transfigura- 
tion, where  they  wished  to  prolong  their  glowing  experience, 
and  led  them  down  to  save  a  demoniac  groveling  in  the 
valley  (Matt.  17:2-18).  He  would  be  the  first  to  rebuke  us 
for  praying,  "Lord,  Lord,"  and  not  doing  the  things  which  he 
says  (Matt.  7:21).  The  real  pray-ers,  however,  have  not 
thus  weltered  in  futile  emotion,  supposed  to  be  induced  by 
God ;  they  have  been  warriors  who  on  the  inner  battlefield 
fought  out  the  issues  of  righteousness  with  God  as  their  ally. 

II 

As  one  seeks  in  the  biographies  of  praying  men  to  discover 
in  terms  of  actual  experience  what  prayer  as  a  battlefield 
has  meant  to  them,  he  sees  that  for  one  thing  it  has  been  the 
place  where  they  reconquered  faith  and  reestablished  confi- 
dence in  God  and  in  themselves.  Professor  Royce,  of  Harv- 
ard, has  given  us  this  testimony  from  a  friend :  "When  things 
are  too  much  for  me,  and  I  am  down  on  my  luck,  and 
everything  is  dark,  I  go  alone  by  myself,  and  I  bury  my 
head  in  my  hands,  I  think  hard  that  God  must  know  it  all 
and  will  see  how  matters  really  are,  and  understand  me ;  and 
in  just  that  way  alone,  by  understanding  me,  will  help  me. 
And  so  I  try  to  get  myself  together,  and  that,  for  me,  is 

163 


[IX-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

prayer."  St.  Francis,  of  Assisi,  used  to  sit  in  prayer  by  the 
hour,  with  no  spoken  word  except  the  occasional  exclamation, 
"God."  Doubts,  it  may  be,  had  assailed  his  faith ;  the  clamor 
of  the  flesh  had  dulled  the  voice  of  the  spirit;  practical 
perplexities  had  distracted  his  life;  and  he  went  out  from 
all  of  these  to  take  a  reassuring  look  at  the  Eternal.  He  "got 
himself  together,"  and  came  back — "things  seen"  a  little  more 
obscure,  "things  unseen"  vivid.  Of  how  many  powerful 
lives  is  this  the  secret ! 

"As  torrents  in  summer 
Half-dried  in  their  channels, 
Suddenly  rise,  though  the 
Sky  is  still  cloudless, 
For  rain  has  been  falling 
Far  off  at  their  fountains; 

"So  hearts  that  are  fainting 
Grow  full  to  o'erflowing, 
And  they  that  behold  it 
Marvel,  and  know  not 
That  God  at  their  fountains 
Far  off  has  been  raining !" 

This  sort  of  inward  self-conquest  to  some  may  seem 
impractical.  They  feel  about  it  as  a  man  may  feel,  who, 
not  understanding  what  astronomy  has  done  for  life,  goes 
into  an  observatory  and  sees  the  astronomer  studying  the 
stars.  That  the  world  needs  ploughs  and  looms  and  loco- 
motives is  as  plain  as  a  pike-staff;  that  the  real  wants  of 
men  are  on  the  earth,  not  in  the  heavens,  appears  so  obvious 
that  this  hard-headed  man  of  common  sense  may  wonder 
what  use  could  be  made  of  a  star-gazing  tube  that  looks 
away  from  earth  and  seeks  the  sky.  But  the  fact  is  that 
the  star-gazer  sets  the  clock  by  which  we  time  our  simplest 
tasks ;  he  made  the  almanac  by  which  we  measure  all  our 
days.  We  never  caught  a  train,  nor  figured  time  on  con- 
tracts, nor  set  ourselves  to  any  common  duty,  that  we  did  not 
put  ourselves  under  obligation  to  the  astronomer.  Men 
never  understood  this  earth  until  they  looked  away  from  it. 
It  never  was  truly  seen  until  it  was  seen  in  its  infinite  rela- 
tionships. Galileo  and  Kepler  and  Copernicus  did  not  idly 

164 


PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [IX-c] 

dream  in  impractical  aloofness  from  the  needs  of  men :  they 
rather  fought  out  in  their  observatories  a  conflict  for  the 
truth  that  has  remade  the  world.  So  prayer  is  an  observa- 
tory. Even  though  our  only  solitude  is  that  of  the  woman 
in  the  tenement  who  said,  "I  throw  my  apron  over  my  head 
when  I  want  solitude;  it  is  all  that  I  can  get,"  prayer  may 
still  be  our  observatory;  and  there  outlooks  are  attained  that 
orient  life  aright,  that  reveal  perspective  and  give  proportion, 
so  that  the  solitary  conflict  proves  the  redemption  of  every 
day's  most  common  task. 

Ill 

The  biographies  of  praying  men  show  us  also  that  their 
struggles  for  right  desire  were  fought  out  on  the  battlefield 
of  prayer.  We  said  in  the  last  chapter  that  prayer  is  real 
only  when  it  voices  an  elevated  and  purified  demand  on  life, 
calling  God  into  alliance.  But  such  praying  requires  in  us 
the  very  thing  we  lack.  Let  a  man  try  as  he  will  to  set 
his  heart  on  righteousness,  the  course  of  that  desire  does 
not  flow  smoothly;  it  is  impeded,  sometimes  halted,  by  land- 
slides and  cross-currents.  The  profoundest  trouble  in  our 
characters  is  our  wayward  appetites.  The  old  picture  of  a 
Judgment  Day  gains  its  terror  not  so  much  from  thunder, 
lightning,  shaken  earth,  and  falling  mountains,  nor  from 
anything  that  these  may  signify.  What  would  cover  us  with 
unutterable  shame  is  the  fulfilment  of  the  repeated  scriptural 
threat,  All  secret  desires  known  (Eccl.  12:14;  Rom.  2:16; 
I  Cor.  4:5).  No  one  with  equanimity  could  endure  that. 
When  one  contemplates  the  possibility,  he  becomes  aware 
that  the  deepest  need  in  character  is  right  desire. 

Now,  prayer  has  been  the  battlefield  where  the  war  against 
wrong  desire  has  been  fought  out.  George  Adam  Smith  in 
a  Dwight  Hall  talk  at  Yale  suggested  that  no  one  had  so 
frankly  revealed  this  use  of  prayer  as  a  battlefield  for  the 
conquest  of  desire  as  "Chinese"  Gordon.  A  search  of  his 
letters  to  his  sister  reveals  the  truth  of  this.  "I  can  say  for 
my  part,"  writes  Gordon,  "that  backbiting  and  envy  were  my 
delight,  and  even  now  often  lead  me  astray,  but  by  dint  of 
perseverance  in  prayer,  God  has  given  me  the  mastery  to  a 
great  degree;  I  did  not  wish  to  give  it  up,  so  I  besought 
him  to  give  me  that  wish;  he  did  so,  and  then  I  had  the 

165 


[IX-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

promise  of  his  fulfilment."  Even  more  vividly  does  Gordon 
put  his  use  of  prayer  when  he  speaks  of  Agag — his  figure 
for  his  own  selfish  ambition  and  pride :  "My  constant  prayer 
is  against  Agag,  who,  of  course,  is  here,  and  as  insinuating  as 
ever" ;  "I  had  a  terrible  struggle  this  morning  with  Agag" ; 
"I  had  a  terrible  half-hour  this  morning,  hewing  Agag  in 
pieces  before  the  Lord." 

Who  can  fail  to  see  what  Gordon  meant?  Some  impurity 
was  in  him  and  he  hauled  it  before  the  face  of  God  and  slew 
it  there;  some  selfish  ambition,  counter  to  the  will  of  God, 
he  dragged  up  into  the  light  and  hewed  in  pieces  before  the 
Lord.  Prayer  is  so  often  spoken  of  as  the  preparation  for 
the  fight  of  life  that  it  is  worth  while  to  note  how  truly 
here  prayer  was  the  fight  itself.  Prayer,  to  Gordon,  was 
no  drill,  where  forms  were  observed  that  might  add  to  the 
army's  graces  or  even  to  its  future  efficiency;  prayer  was  the 
actual  battle  between  a  wrong  desire  and  a  right  one,  with 
God  called  in  as  an  ally.  He  went  to  prayer  as  to  earnest 
business,  saying  with  the  Psalmist,  "Lord,  all  my  desire  is 
before  thee"  (Psalm  38:9).  Day  by  day  he  returned  to 
cast  down  unholy  passions  and  selfish  aims  and  to  confirm 
every  true  ambition  in  the  sight  of  God.  The  very  fountains 
of  his  life,  the  springs  from  which  all  action  comes,  were 
cleansed,  until  that  injunction  which  Hartley  Coleridge  put 
into  verse  became  the  familiar  prose  of  his  daily  living: 

"Whate'er  is  good  to  wish,  ask  that  of  heaven, 

Though  it  be  what  thou  canst  not  hope  to  see; 
Pray  to  be  perfect  though  the  material  leaven 

Forbid  the  spirit  so  on  earth  to  be ; 
But  if  for  any  wish  thou  dar'st  not  pray, 
Then  pray  to  God  to  cast  that  wish  away." 

IV 

The  biographies  of  praying  men  show  also  that  prayer  was 
the  battlefield  -where  they  fought  out  the  issue  between  the 
two  conflicting  motives  that  most  master  human  life — the 
praise  of  the  world,  on  the  one  side,  and  the  approval  of 
God  on  the  other.  One  distinguishing  quality  of  superior 
souls  is  their  capacity  to  discount  the  praise  of  men  and  to 
set  their  hearts  singly  upon  pleasing  God.  We  catch  the 

166 


PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [IX-c] 

note  in  Socrates  before  he  drinks  the  hemlock,  "We  must 
obey  not  men,  but  God" ;  we  hear  it  in  Peter  facing  persecu- 
tion, "We  must  obey  God  rather  than  men"  (Acts  5:29). 
Such  men  were  not  so  acutely  aware  of  the  public  opinion 
of  the  earth  as  they  were  of  the  Public  Opinion  of  the  uni- 
verse, in  the  sight  of  which  they  set  themselves  to  stand  clear 
and  blameless.  They  lived  as  Milton  sang  of  Michael : 

"This  was  all  thy  care, 

To  stand  approved  in  sight  of  God, 
Though   worlds   judged   thee   perverse." 

At  times  the  vividness  with  which  such  souls  perceive  the 
will  of  God  for  them,  and  the  steadiness  with  which  they  do 
it,  despite  the  condemnation  of  their  fellows,  lifts  heroism  to 
superhuman  heights.  Like  the  boy  in  school  who  pitched 
his  best  game  of  ball  on  the  Saturday  after  his  "blind  father 
died,  because  he  said  it  was  the  first  game  that  his  father  had 
ever  watched  him  pitch,  so  these  men  live  and  work  in  the 
vivid  consciousness  of  the  "Father  who  seeth  in  secret." 
Their  dominant  motive  is  to  satisfy  him. 

But  such  living  as  this  costs  a  fight.  God  is  not  the  only 
one  whom  we  may  try  to  please.  Evil  assumes  its  most 
seductive  form  when  it  appeals  to  this  same  motive — when 
some  wrong-minded  friend  requests  what  good  conscience 
cannot  grant,  or  when  popular  taste  sets  the  tone  of  living 
low  and  offers  us  praise  if  we  will  join  the  song.  Sin  in 
the  abstract  is  hateful,  but  when  it  clothes  itself  in  human 
flesh  and  waits  to  smile  approval  upon  our  compliance,  it 
becomes  tremendously  attractive.  Drink  and  impurity  and 
all  their  ilk  are  horrible  in  theory,  but  dressed  in  the  invita- 
tion of  a  friend,  made  alluringly  incarnate  in  a  person,  what 
terrific  fascination  they  may  gain !  Would  Herod  have  slain 
John  if  the  deed  had  not  been  pleasing  to  Herodias?  Would 
Antipas  have  killed  James  and  imprisoned  Peter  if  he  had 
not  seen  that  "it  pleased  the  Jews"?  Would  Charles  IX  have 
ordered  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  if  his  mother  had 
not  wanted  it? 

To  be  sure,  there  are  times  when  to  please  God  and  to 
please  some  human  friend  are  synonymous.  From  the  time 
our  only  possible  understanding  of  our  duty  was  to  deserve 
the  approval  of  our  parents,  until  now  when  the  commenda- 

167 


[IX-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

tion  of  our  worthy  friends  is  life's  highest  earthly  gratifi- 
cation, duty  has  assumed  its  most  attractive  form  when  it 
clothed  itself  in  a  person  to  be  pleased.  Stopford  Brook 
tells  us  that  while  gathering  material  for  his  life  of  Robert- 
son of  Brighton,  he  stepped  into  a  Brighton  bookstore  and 
noticed  a  picture  of  Robertson  upon  the  wall.  "Yes,"  said 
the  bookseller,  "whenever  I  am  tempted  to  do  anything  mean 
I  look  at  that  face,  and  it  recalls  me  to  my  better  self." 

Many  a  living  friend  has  so  served  us,  and  in  the  satis- 
faction of  that  friend's  ideal  for  us  we  found  duty  no  cold 
keeping  of  a  law,  but  the  warm  pleasing  of  a  person.  In- 
deed, neither  right  nor  wrong  is  often  presented  to  our 
choice  as  an  abstract  proposition.  They  are  almost  always 
incarnate;  they  have  faces  and  hands,  and  blood  flows 
through  them ;  they  appeal  to  us  with  all  the  enticement  that 
human  flesh  and  a  human  voice  can  give.  Because,  therefore, 
to  displease  "people  causes  us  most  acute  unhappiness,  and  to 
win  their  approval  is  life's  most  poignant  satisfaction,  some 
of  the  severest  battles  in  the  moral  life  must  be  fought  about 
this  issue.  If  there  is  any  commandment  in  Scripture  most 
difficult  of  all  to  keep,  it  is  this :  "If  thy  brother,  the  son  of 
thy  mother,  or  thy  son,  or  thy  daughter,  or  the  wife  of  thy 
bosom,  or  thy  friend,  that  is  as  thine  own  soul,  entice  thee 
secretly,  saying,  Let  us  go  and  serve  other  gods,  .  .  .  thou 
shalt  not  consent  unto  him,  nor  hearken  unto  him"  (Deut. 
13:6,  8). 

This  conflict  between  the  desire  to  please  God  and  those 
•who  represent  him,  and  to  please  the  generation  in  which  he 
lived  was  the  central  struggle  of  the  Master's  life,  and  he 
fought  it  out  in  prayer.  We  look  at  him  now,  across  the 
centuries,  and  all  his  life  seems  singly  set  on  pleasing  God. 
To  satisfy  his  Father  was  his  motive,  the  possibility  of  doing 
-it  his  joy,  the  consciousness  of  having  done  it  his  recom- 
pense. His  great  hours,  such  as  his  baptism  and  transfigura- 
tion, were  blessed  with  the  assurance  that  he  was  the  be- 
loved Son  in  whom  God  was  well  pleased;  his  idea  of  daily 
duty  was  defined  in  his  own  words,  "I  do  always  the  things 
that  are  pleasing  to  him"  (John  8:29)  ;  and  when  he  thought 
of  heaven  and  reward  he  dreamed  of  no  golden  streets  and 
gates  of  pearl — he  saw  only  his  approving  Father  saying, 
"Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant."  But  even  with  the 
Master  this  life  involved  an  inward  war.  To  please  God 

168 


PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [IX-c] 

meant  to  displease  his  family,  the  leaders  of  his  nation,  the 
venerable  fathers  of  his  people's  faith ;  it  meant  desertion 
by  his  friends  and  calumny  from  his  enemies ;  it  meant  that 
he  would  be  thought  crazy  by  his  household,  a  traitor  by  his 
nation,  and  a  heretic  by  his  church. 

This  great  battle  of  the  Master  was  waged  in  prayer,  be- 
fore ever  its  results  were  seen  in  public.  In  many  a  secret 
conflict  the  engagement  was  fought  out,  until  in  Gethsemane 
he  "offered  up  prayers  and  supplications  with  strong  crying 
and  tears  unto  him  that  was  able  to  save  him  from  death" 
(Heb.  5:  7).  That  sort  of  praying  is  a  real  battle,  not  a  dress 
parade.  Jeremy  Taylor  may  call  prayer  "the  peace  of  our 
spirits,  the  stillness  of  our  thoughts" ;  but  when  David 
Brainerd,  colonial  missionary  to  the  Indians,  comes  out  from 
one  of  his  Gethsemanes,  saying,  "My  joints  were  loosed; 
the  sweat  ran  down  my  face  and  body  as  if  it  would  dis- 
solve," it  is  clear  that  Taylor's  definition  is  inadequate. 
Prayer  is  a  fight  for  the  power  to  see  and  the  courage  to 
do  the  will  of  God.  No  man's  life  can  altogether  lack  that 
struggle,  if  he  is  to  achieve  dependable  integrity  that  cannot 
be  bought  or  scared.  The  best  guaranty  of  a  character  that 
is  not  for  sale  is  this  battlefield  of  prayer,  where  day  by  day 
the  issue  is  settled  that  we  shall  live  "not  as  pleasing  men, 
but  God  who  proveth  our  hearts"  (I  Thess.  2:4). 


To  the  great  pray-ers  the  practice  of  prayer  has  meant  this 
vital  struggle  of  which  we  have  been  speaking.  On  that 
secret  battlefield  faith  and  confidence  have  been  reconquered, 
right  desires  have  been  confirmed,  and  men  have  gone  from 
it  to  live  "in  the  sight  of  God."  When  men  say  that  they 
have  no  time  for  praying,  they  can  hardly  have  seen  the  truth 
that  prayer  is  this  innermost,  decisive  business  of  life.  The 
time  involved  in  the  deliberate  practice  of  prayer  may  indeed 
be  brief  or  long.  Whitefield,  the  great  companion  of  the 
Wesleys,  used  to  lie  all  day  prostrate  in  prayer,  and  Luther, 
in  the  crisis  of  his  life,  said,  "I  am  so  busy  now  that  if  I 
did  not  spend  two  or  three  hours  each  day  in  prayer  I  could 
not  get  through  the  day."  But  Spurgeon,  quite  as  good  a 
Christian,  when  speaking  of  prolonged  prayer  said,  "I  could 
not  do  it  even  if  my  eternity  depended  upon  it.  Besides, 

169 


[IX-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

if  I  go  to  the  bank  with  a  check,  what  do  I  wait  loafing 
around  the  premises  for  when  I  have  got  my  money!"  The 
length  of  time  is  not  the  decisive  matter  in  prayer.  "We 
may  pray  most  when  we  say  least,"  as  St.  Augustine  remarked ; 
"and  we  may  pray  least  when  we  say  most."  With  many  of 
us  time  must  be  divided,  as  is  the  land  of  the  United  States. 
The  little  District  given  to  congress  for  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment, would  on  any  quantitative  basis  be  most  ill-propor- 
tioned. Texas  is  4,430  times  as  large  as  the  District  of 
Columbia,  and  even  Rhode  Island  would  contain  it  twenty 
times  and  over.  So  one,  regarding  the  brief  time  that  a 
Christian  spends  in  deliberate  prayer,  might  cry  out  against 
such  ill  proportion,  seeing  how  business  and  recreation  of 
necessity  preoccupy  so  many  hours.  But  is  not  the  answer 
clear?  In  quantity  the  little  District  is  small,  but  it  is  pre- 
eminently powerful.  The  government  is  there.  Nothing 
goes  on  in  all  these  states  utterly  out  of  the  control  and 
influence  of  that  District.  Its  mandates  are  over  the  com- 
merce and  legislation  of  all  the  states;  and  every  mooted 
question,  not  elsewhere  resolvable,  is  taken  before  its  Su- 
preme Court  for  ultimate  decision. 

Granted  then,  that  our  spiritual  District  of  Columbia 
must  be  smaller  in  area  than  our  State  of  Texas,  have  we 
done  with  that  inward  District  what  our  fathers  did  in  the 
nation?  Have  we  solemnly  chosen  it  and  set  it  sacredly 
aside?  Have  we  located  there  the  central  government,  so 
that  all  power  issues  thence  and  all  questions  come  back  to 
it  for  settlement?  Is  it  apparent  to  those  who  know  us  best 
that  we  would  rather  any  other  place  in  our  lives  should  be 
taken  by  the  enemy  than  this  Capital  of  our  Country,  the 
place  of  prayer? 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

What  determines  whether  a  man's  good  intentions  will  issue 
in  action? 

Why  do  good  intentions  fail? 

What  are  the  enemies  that  oppose  a  man's  dominant  de- 
sires ?  Upon  what  does  their  strength  depend  ? 

What  happens  to  the  man  whose  good  intentions  habitually 
fail  to  result  in  action? 

170 


PRAYER  AS  A  BATTLEFIELD  [IX-s] 

What  is  the  relative  importance  of  time  for  preparation  and 
execution  in  a  successful  achievement? 

To  what  extent  is  a  victory  in  a  great  public  battle  of  life 
dependent  upon  previous  victory  in  an  unseen  battle? 

How  far  are  right  decisions  in  times  of  crisis  dependent 
upon  the  controlling  purpose  of  life?  Where  is  this  purpose 
determined? 

What  is  the  relation  of  secret  prayer  to  public  action? 

What  was  the  relation  of  the  Master's  habit  of  prayer  to 
the  controlling  purpose  of  his  life?  What  suggestions  are 
given  in  the  record  of  the  temptations? 

What  place  did  Jesus  give  to  time  for  prayer  in  the  critical 
periods  of  his  life? 

What  has  been  the  relation  of  the  prayers  of  praying  men 
to  their  public  action? 

What  great  issues  of  life  must  be  fought  out  in  secret 
prayer  ? 

Why  does  time  for  secret  prayer  give  assurance  of  victory? 
What  constitutes  complete  personal  victory  for  a  man  in  his 
life  struggles?  How  far  is  it  dependent  on  securing  one's 
ends? 

In  these  "prayers  of  preparation"  what  is  the  nature  of  the 
answer  expected  of  God? 

How  far  is  it  true  that  the  longer  the  time  spent  in  secret 
prayer  the  greater  the  victories  in  practical  lifef 


171 


CHAPTER  X 

Unselfishness  in  Prayer 

DAILY  READINGS 

First  Day,  Tenth  Week 

And  straightway  he  constrained  the  disciples  to  enter 
into  the  boat,  and  to  go  before  him  unto  the  other  side,  till 
he  should  send  the  multitudes  away.  And  after  he  had 
sent  the  multitudes  away,  he  went  up  into  the  mountain 
apart  to  pray:  and  when  even  was  come,  he  was  there 
alone. — Matt.  14:22,  23. 

We  are  surely  right  in  saying  that  the  dominant  motive 
of  the  Master's  life  was  service.  Yet  we  find  him  here 
sending  away  multitudes,  some  of  whom  he  might  never 
have  another  chance  to  address,  and  retiring  into  the  soli- 
tude of  the  hills  to  pray.  Was  this  selfish?  Must  we  not 
suppose  that  he  sent  away  the  people,  sought  solitude,  and 
gave  himself  to  prayer,  because  he  believed  that  by  so  doing 
he  was  rendering  the  largest  service  to  others.  Make  real 
in  your  thought  the  truth  of  this ;  consider  the  increased 
power  for  usefulness  that  came  to  the  Master  in  his  prayer, 
the  recovery  from  spiritual  exhaustion  and  the  fresh  sense 
of  God's  companionship  that  he  there  secured.  Are  we  not 
often  shallow  in  our  service  and  superficial  in  our  influence, 
just  because  we  do  not  escape  the  multitude  long  enough 
for  the  ministry  of  unselfish  praying  alone? 

O  Merciful  Lord,  who  hast  made  of  one  Blood  and 
redeemed  by  one  Ransome  all  Nations  of  Men,  lei  me  never 
harden  my  heart  against  any  that  partake  of  the  same  Nature 
•and  Redemption  with  me,  but  grant  me  an  Universal  Charity 
towards  all  Men.  Give  me,  O  Thou  Father  of  Compassions, 

172 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-2] 

such  a  tenderness  and  meltingness  of  Heart  that  I  may  be 
deeply  affected  with  all  the  Miseries  and  Calamities  outward 
or  inward  of  my  Brethren,  and  diligently  keep  them  in  Love: 
Grant  that  I  may  not  only  seek  my  own  things,  but  also  the 
things  of  others.  O  that  this  mind  may  be  in  us  all,  which 
was  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  that  we  may  love  as  Brethren,  be 
Pitiful  and  Courteous,  and  endeavour  heartily  and  vigor- 
ously to  keep  the  Unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  Bond  of  Peace, 
and  the  God  of  Grace,  Mercy  and  Peace  be  with  us  all. 
Amen. — Thomas  a  Kempis  (1379-1471). 

Second  Day,  Tenth  Week 

And  he  said  unto  them,  Which  of  you  shall  have  a 
friend,  and  shall  go  unto  him  at  midnight,  and  say  to  him, 
Friend,  lend  me  three  loaves;  for  a  friend  of  mine  is 
come  to  me  from  a  journey,  and  I  have  nothing  to  set 
before  him:  and  he  from  within  shall  answer  and  say, 
Trouble  me  not:  the  door  is  now  shut,  and  my  children  are 
with  me  in  bed;  I  cannot  rise  and  give  thee?  I  say 
unto  you,  Though  he  will  not  rise  and  give  him  because 
he  is  his  friend,  yet  because  of  his  importunity  he  will 
arise  and  give  him  as  many  as  he  needeth. — Luke  n:  5-8. 

Notice  the  suggestive  situation  which  the  Master  here 
describes.  The  one  who  prays  is  asking  for  bread,  not  for 
his  own  sake,  but  for  his  friend's.  The  need  of  another  has 
made  him  feel  the  poverty  of  his  own  life ;  "I  have  nothing 
to  set  before  him."  How  much  such  praying  ought  to  be 
done ! — by  parents  who  feel  their  insufficiency  in  meeting 
their  children's  deepest  needs,  by  friends  who  take  seriously 
the  fine  possibilities  of  mutual  service,  by  every  teacher  or 
minister  or  physician  who  deals  intimately  with  human  lives, 
by  all  in  responsible  positions  in  the  social  or  political  life 
of  a  community.  Many  of  us,  like  the  man  in  the  parable, 
do  not  see  how  empty  our  cupboards  are  until  a  friend 
"comes  to  us  from  a  journey,"  and  then  our  barren  use- 
lessness,  our  ill-equipped  spirits,  our  meager  souls  shame 
us.  Such  persistent  importunity  as  this  belongs  rightfully  to 
a  man  who  is  praying  unselfishly — whose  cry  is  motived  by 
desire  to  have  plenty  to  set  before  his  friend. 

Grant  unto  us,  O  Lord  God,  that  we  may  love  one  another 
173 


[X-3]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

unfcignedly;  for  where  love  is,  there  art  Thou;  and  he  that 
lovcth  his  brother  is  born  of  Thee,  and  dwelleth  in  Thee, 
and  Thou  in  him.  And  where  brethren  do  glorify  Thee  with 
one  accord,  there  dost  Thou  pour  out  Thy  blessing  upon 
them.  Love  us,  therefore,  O  Lord,  and  shed  Thy  love  into 
our  hearts,  that  we  may  love  Thee,  and  our  brethren  in  Thee 
and  for  Thee,  as  all  children  to  Thee,  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.  Amen. — Anonymous  (1578). 

Third  Day,  Tenth  Week 

For  as  the  body  is  one,  and  hath  many  members,  and 
all  the  members  of  the  body,  being  many,  are  one  body; 
so  also  is  Christ.  For  in  one  Spirit  were  we  all  baptized 
into  one  body,  whether  Jews  or  Greeks,  whether  bond  or 
free;  and  were  all  made  to  drink  of  one  Spirit.  For  the 
body  is  not  one  member,  but  many.  If  the  foot  shall  say, 
Because  I  am  not  the  hand,  I  am  not  of  the  body;  it  is  not 
therefore  not  of  the  body.  And  if  the  ear  shall  say, 
Because  I  am  not  the  eye,  I  am  not  of  the  body;  it  is  not 
therefore  not  of  the  body.  If  the  whole  body  were  an  eye, 
where  were  the  hearing?  If  the  whole  were  hearing, 
where  were  the  smelling?  But  now  hath  God  set  the  mem- 
bers each  one  of  them  in  the  body,  even  as  it  pleased 
him.  And  if  they  were  all  one  member,  where  were 
the  body?  But  now  they  are  many  members,  but  one 
body.  And  the  eye  cannot  say  to  the  hand,  I  have  no 
need  of  thee:  or  again  the  head  to  the  feet,  I  have  no 
need  of  you.  .  .  .  And  whether  one  member  suffereth,  all 
the  members  suffer  with  it;  or  one  member  is  honored, 
all  the  members  rejoice  with  it.  Now  ye  are  the  body 
of  Christ,  and  severally  members  thereof. — I  Cor.  12 : 12- 
21,  26,  27. 

Is  not  the  truth  which  Paul  here  puts  into  his  classic 
figure  of  body  and  members,  the  basis  of  intercessory 
prayer?  'Wo  man  is  the  whole  of  himself;  his  friends  are 
the  rest  of  him."  A  man's  bare  individuality  is  like  the 
piece  of  grit  that  gets  into  an  oyster  shell,  but  the  pearl  of 
his  life  is  made  by  the  relationships  that  are  built  up  around 
it.  Let  a  man  endeavor  to  abstract  from  his  life  all  the 
meaning  that  has  come  from  friends,  family,  and  social 
relationships,  and  he  will  soon  see  how  very  small  his  narrow 
self  is,  and  how  his  true  and  greater  self  is  inconceivable 
without  the  social  body  of  which  he  is  a  member.  "In  such 

1/4 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-4l 

a  kingdom,"  says  Professor  Jones  of  Haverford — "an  or- 
ganic fellowship  of  interrelated  persons — prayer  is  as  normal 
an  activity  as  gravitation  is  in  a  world  of  matter.  Personal 
spirits  experience  spiritual  gravitation,  soul  reaches  after 
soul,  hearts  draw  toward  each  other.  We  are  no  longer 
in  the  net  of  blind  fate,  in  the  realm  of  impersonal  force, 
we  are  in  a  love-system  where  the  aspiration  of  one  member 
heightens  the  entire  group,  and  the  need  of  one — even  the 
least — draws  upon  the  resources  of  the  whole — even  the 
Infinite.  We  are  in  actual  Divine-human  fellowship." 

O  God,  Thou  great  Redeemer  of  mankind,  our  hearts  are 
tender  in  the  thought  of  Thee,  for  in  all  the  afflictions  of 
our  race  Thou  hast  been  afflicted,  and  in  the  sufferings  of  Thy 
people  it  was  Thy  body  that  was  crucified.  Thou  hast  been 
wounded  by  our  transgressions  and  bruised  by  our  iniquities, 
and  all  our  sins  are  laid  at  last  on  Thee.  Amid  the  groaning 
of  creation  we  behold  Thy  spirit  in  travail  till  the  sons  of 
God  shall  be  born  in  freedom  and  holiness. 

We  pray  Thee,  O  Lord,  for  the  graces  of  a  pure  and  holy 
life,  that  we  may  no  longer  add  to  the  dark  weight  of  the 
world's  sin  that  is  laid  upon  Thee,  but  may  share  with  Thee 
in  Thy  redemptive  work.  As  we  have  thirsted  with  evil 
passions  to  the  destruction  of  men,  do  Thou  fill  us  now  with 
hunger  and  thirst  for  justice  that  we  may  bear  glad  tidings 
to  the  poor  and  set  at  liberty  all  who  are  in  the  prison-house 
of  want  and  sin.  Lay  Thy  spirit  upon  us  and  inspire  us  with 
a  passion  of  Christ-like  love,  that  we  may  join  our  lives  to 
the  weak  and  oppressed  and  may  strengthen  their  cause  by 
bearing  their  sorrows.  And  if  the  evil  that  is  threatened 
turns  to-  smite  us  and  if  we  must  learn  the  dark  malignity 
of  sinful  power,  comfort  us  by  the  thought  that  thus  we  are 
bearing  in  our  body  the  marks  of  Jesus,  and  that  only  those 
who  share  in  His  free  sacrifice  shall  feel  the  plenitude  of  Thy 
life.  Help  us  in  patience  to  carry  forward  the  eternal  cross 
of  Thy  Christ,  counting  it  joy  if  we,  too,  are  sown  as  grains 
of  wheat  in  the  furrows  of  the  world,  for  only  by  the  agony 
of  the  righteous  comes  redemption. — Walter  Rauschenbusch. 

Fourth  Day,  Tenth  Week 

And  in  praying  use  not  vain  repetitions,  as  the  Gentiles 
do:  for  they  think  that  they  shall  be  heard  for  their  much 

175 


[X-4]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

speaking.  Be  not  therefore  like  unto  them:  for  your 
Father  knoweth  what  things  ye  have  need  of,  before  ye 
ask  him.  After  this  manner  therefore  pray  ye:  Our 
Father  who  art  in  heaven,  Hallowed  be  thy  name.  Thy 
kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done,  as  in  heaven,  so  on 
earth.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive 
us  our  debts,  as  we  also  have  forgiven  our  debtors.  And 
bring  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  the  evil 
one.  For  if  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly 
Father  will  also  forgive  you.  But  if  ye  forgive  not  men 
their  trespasses,  neither  will  your  Father  forgive  your 
trespasses. — Matt.  6:7-15. 

"When  ye  pray,"  said  Jesus,  "say,  Our" — "our  Father,"  "our 
daily  bread,"  "our  debts,"  "our  debtors."  Mark  the  fact  that 
this  prayer  is  not  given  simply  for  public  use  when  many 
are  praying  together;  it  is  directly  related  with  the  injunc- 
tion to  go  into  one's  closet,  shut  the  door,  and  pray  in 
secret  (Matt.  6:5,  6).  Even  when  in  solitude  an  indi- 
vidual is  communing  with  God,  he  is  to  say  not  merely  I 
and  my,  but  our.  The  degree  to  which  this  social  spirit  in 
prayer  will  take  possession  of  us  depends  on  the  vividness 
with  which  we  perceive  the  intimate  relationships  that  bind 
all  men  together,  until  each  individual  is  seen  not  simply  as 
a  separate  thread  but  as  an  inseparable  element  in  the 
closely  woven  fabric  of  human  life.  "One  man,"  said  an  old 
Latin  proverb,  "is  no  man  at  all !"  To  be  sure,  he  is  not. 
Rather  every  acquaintanceship  is  a  live-wire  connection 
between  one  life  and  another.  Suppose  that  each  one  of 
us  has  a  thousand  acquaintances,  and  each  one  of  those  a 
thousand  more,  and  so  on  over  all  the  earth.  Then  we  are 
completely  intermeshed  with  one  another.  No  two'  persons 
can  be  selected  though  one  lived  on  Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York,  and  the  other  on  the  plains  of  Arabia,  between  whom, 
by  many  a  circuitous  route,  live-wire  connections  might  not 
conceivably  be  traced  by  a  mind  sufficient  for  the  task.  Subtle 
influences  run  out  from  each  and  sooner  or  later  come  to 
all;  no  blessing  and  no  disaster  ever  can  be  strictly  private; 
common  needs,  common  perils,  and  common  possibilities  bind 
all  mankind  together.  "When  ye  pray,  say,  Our." 

Once  more  a  new  day  lies  before  us,  our  Father.  As  we 
go  out  among  men  to  do  our  work,  touching  the  hands  and 

176 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-s] 

lives  of  our  fellows,  make  us,  we  pray  Thee,  friends  of  all 
the  world.  Save  us  from  blighting  the  fresh  flower  of  any 
heart  by  the  flare  of  sudden  anger  or  secret  hate.  May  we 
not  bruise  the  rightful  self-respect  of  any  by  contempt  or 
malice.  Help  us  to  cheer  the  suffering  by  our  sympathy,  to 
freshen  the  drooping  by  our  hopefulness,  and  to  strengthen 
in  all  the  wholesome  sense  of  worth  and  the  joy  of  life. 
Save  us  from  the  deadly  poison  of  class-pride.  Grant  that 
we  may  look  all  men  in  the  face  with  the  eyes  of  a  brother. 
If  any  one  needs  us,  make  us  ready  to  yield  our  help  un- 
grudgingly, unless  higher  duties  claim  us,  and  may  we  rejoice 
that  we  have  it  in  us  to  be  helpful  to  our  fellow-men. — 
Walter  Rauschenbusch. 


Fifth  Day,  Tenth  Week 

Another  parable  set  he  before  them,  saying,  The  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which 
a  man  took,  and  sowed  in  his  field:  which  indeed  is  less 
than  all  seeds;  but  when  it  is  grown,  it  is  greater  than 
the  herbs,  and  becometh  a  tree,  so  that  the  birds  of 
the  heaven  come  and  lodge  in  the  branches  thereof. 
— Matt.  13:31,  32. 

The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a-  treasure  hidden 
in  the  field;  which  a  man  found,  and  hid;  and  in  his 
joy  he  goeth  and  selleth  all  that  he  hath,  and  buyeth 
that  field.  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto 
a  man  that  is  a  merchant  seeking  goodly  pearls:  and 
having  found  one  pearl  of  great  price,  he  went  and  sold 
all  that  he  had,  and  bought  it. — Matt.  13:44-46. 

Read  these  words  of  the  Master  in  the  light  of  our 
thought  about  prayer  as  dominant  desire.  How  plainly  the 
petition,  "Thy  kingdom  come"  represented  the  controlling 
passion  of  Jesus  1  Prayer  at  its  best  always  refuses  the 
impossible  task  of  separating  the  /  from  the  we,  and  in  its 
supplications  gathers  up  the  common  needs  of  all  mankind 
to  carry  them  in  earnest  sympathy  to  God.  It  thanks  God 
for  communal  blessings  in  which  all  share;  it  repents  for 
communal  sins  in  which  every  one  of  us  who  has  thought 
selfishly  or  acted  grossly  has  had  some  part ;  and  it  strives 
in  earnest  entreaty  for  social  justice,  international  peace, 
the  brotherhood  of  man,  the  triumph  of  Christ — every  cause 

177 


[X-6]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

on  which  the  welfare  of  all  of  us  depends.  As  the  Talmud 
puts  it,  "A  prayer  that  makes  not  mention  of  the  Kingdom 
is  no  prayer  at  all." 

O  Christ,  Thou  hast  bidden  us  pray  for  the  coming  of  Thy 
Father's  kingdom,  in  which  His  righteous  will  shall  be  done 
on  earth.  We  have  treasured  Thy  words,  but  we  have  for- 
gotten their  meaning,  and  Thy  great  hope  has  grown  dim  in 
Thy  Church.  We  bless  Thee  for  the  inspired  souls  of  all  ages 
who  saw  afar  the  shining  city  of  God,  and  by  faith  left  the 
profit  of  the  present  to  follow  their  vision.  We  rejoice  that 
to-day  the  hope  of  these  lonely  hearts  is  becoming  the  clear 
faith  of  millions.  Help  us,  O  Lord,  in  the  courage  of  faith 
to  seize  what  has  now  come  so  near,  that  the  glad  day  of 
God  may  dawn  at  last.  As  we  have  mastered  Nature  that  we 
might  gain  wealth,  help  us  now  to  master  the  social  relations 
of  mankind  that  we  may  gain  justice  and  a  world  of  brothers. 
For  what  shall  it  profit  our  nation  if  it  gain  numbers  and 
riches,  and  lose  the  sense  of  the  living  God  and  the  joy  of 
human  brotherhood? 

Make  us  determined  to  live  by  truth  and  not  by  lies,  to 
found  our  common  life  on  the  eternal  foundations  of  right- 
eousness and  love,  and  no  longer  to  prop  the  tottering  house 
of  wrong  by  legalised  cruelty  and  force.  Help  us  to  make 
the  welfare  of  all  the  supreme  law  of  our  land,  that  so  our 
commonwealth  may  be  built  strong  and  secure  on  the  love 
of  all  its  citizens.  Cast  down  the  throne  of  Mammon  who 
ever  grinds  the  life  of  men,  and  set  up  Thy  throne,  O  Christ, 
for  Thou  didst  die  that  men  might  live.  Show  Thy  erring 
children  at  last  the  way  to  the  City  of  Love,  and  fulfil 
the  longings  of  the  prophets  of  humanity.  Our  Master,  once 
more  we  make  Thy  faith  our  prayer:  "Thy  Kingdom  Come! 
Thy  will  be  done  on  earth!" — Walter  Rauschenbusch. 

Sixth  Day,  Tenth  Week 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  What  things  soever  ye  shall 
bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven;  and  what  things 
soever  ye  shall  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven. 
Again  I  say  unto  you,  that  if  two  of  "y°u  shall  agree  on 
earth  as  touching  anything  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall 
be  done  for  them  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven. — Matt. 
18:  1 8,  19. 

178 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-;] 

Jesus'  words  about  praying  together  are  quite  as  positive 
as  his  words  about  praying  alone.  We  often  quote  this 
reference  to  "two  or  three,"  as  though  the  contrast  were 
between  a  few  and  a  multitude;  but  in  fact  the  contrast 
lies  between  social  and  solitary  prayer.  Christ  means  to 
stress  the  fact  that  he  is  especially  present  in  a  praying 
group.  Praying  for  another,  especially  an  unfriendly  man, 
is  a  searching  test  of  our  relationship  with  him.  But  praying 
•with  another — how  much  more  intimate  and  penetrating  a 
test  is  that!  If  there  is  unforgiven  grudge  or  impenitent 
unkindness  or  secret  disloyalty,  we  cannot  do  it.  As  Jesus 
said,  we  must  "agree."  Prayer  is  a  most  effective  cleanser  of 
personal  relationships  when  in  the  home,  for  example,  people 
kneel  amid  the  familiar  scenes  of  daily  life.  The  bitter 
word  and  the  neglected  kindness  will  quarrel  with  the  mutual 
prayer ;  people  must  really  be  loyal  to  one  another  to  pray 
well  together.  This  is  one  of  the  fundamental  reasons  for 
public  prayer,  and  in  the  family  circle,  the  college  group, 
or  the  church,  the  sincere  and  habitual  practice  of  it  will 
help  any  who  genuinely  catch  its  spirit  to  say  Our — our 
blessings,  our  sins,  our  needs,  and  our  Father. 

Eternal,  Holy,  Almighty,  whose  name  is  Love;  we  are  met 
in  solemn  company  to  seek  Thy  face,  and  in  spirit  and  truth 
to  worship  Thy  name.  We  come  in  deep  humility,  since 
Thou  art  so  high  and  exalted,  and  because  Thou  beholdest 
the  proud  afar  off.  We  come  in  tender  penitence,  for  the 
contrite  heart  is  Thy  only  dwelling.  We  come  in  the  name 
and  spirit  of  Jesus  to  make  our  wills  one  with  Thine;  to 
abandon  our  lonely  and  selfish  walk  for  solemn  communion 
with  Thee,  to  put  an  end  to  sin  by  welcoming  to  our  hearts 
Thy  Holy  Presence.  Deeper  than  we  have  known,  enter, 
Thou  Maker  of  our  souls;  clearer  than  we  have  ever  seen, 
dawn  Thy  glory  on  our  sight.  Light  the  name  upon  the 
altar,  call  forth  the  incense  of  prayer,  waken  the  song  of 
praise,  and  manifest  Thyself  to  all.  Amen. — W.  E.  Orchard. 

Seventh  Day,  Tenth  Week 

Simon,  Simon,  behold,  Satan  asked  to  have  you,  that 
he  might  sift  you  as  wheat:  I  made  supplication  for 
thec,  that  thy  faith  fail  not;  and  do  thou,  when  once 

179 


[X-7]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

thou  hast  turned  again,  establish  thy  brethren.  And  he 
said  unto  him,  Lord,  with  thee  I  am  ready  to  go  both 
to  prison  and  to  death.  And  he  said,  I  tell  thee,  Peter, 
the  cock  shall  not  crow  this  day,  until  thou  shalt  thrice 
deny  that  thou  knowest  me. — Luke  22:31-34. 

Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said,  Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor,  and  hate  thine  enemy:  but  I  say  unto  you, 
Love  your  enemies,  and  pray  for  them  that  persecute 
you;  that  ye  may  be  sons  of  your  Father  who  is  in 
heaven:  for  he  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and 
the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  the  unjust. 
—Matt.  5=43-45- 

Look  through  these  two  passages  as  through  open  windows 
into  the  habitual  intercessions  of  the  Master.  We  have 
been  noting  this  week  different  forms  which  unselfish  pray- 
ing takes :  praying  for  our  own  need  that  we  may  serve 
others  better ;  pleading  the  common  wants  which  belong  to 
all  of  us ;  offering  our  entreaty  for  the  coming  Kingdom ; 
and  praying  together  in  a  social  group.  But  in  addition 
to  these  the  Master  prayed  for  individual  people,  both  his 
enemies  and  his  friends.  His  love  was  personal  and  con- 
crete; when  he  prayed,  he  used  names.  Think  of  different 
tests  by  which  we  can  measure  the  reality  of  love — such  as 
willingness  to  render  costly  service  or  daily  thoughtfulness 
in  little  matters.  Consider  then  the  quality  and  depth  of  love 
that  are  revealed  by  this  further  test — a  care  profound 
enough  to  express  itself  in  sincere  and  habitual  intercession. 
When  a  man  prays  in  secret  for  another,  and  does  it  genu- 
inely, he  must  really  care.  Put  yourself  in  Peter's  place  and 
see  what  the  revelation  of  the  Master's  love,  expressed  in 
secret  intercession,  must  have  meant  to  him.  At  the  death 
of  Robert  McCheyne,  the  Scotch  preacher,  some  one  said, 
"Perhaps  the  heaviest  blow  to  his  brethren,  his  people,  and 
the  land,  is  the  loss  of  his  intercession." 

Two  or  three  days  before  Cromwell  died,  the  Chronicler 
tells  us,  his  heart  was  "carried  out  for  God  and  his  people — 
yea,  indeed,  for  some  who  had  added  no  little  sorrow  to 
him."  This  was  his  prayer : 

Lord,  though  I  am  a  miserable  and  wretched  creature,  I 
am  in  Covenant  with  Thee  through  grace.  And  I  may,  I 
will,  come  to  Thee,  for  Thy  People.  Thou  hast  made  me, 

180 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-c] 

though  very  unworthy,  a  mean  instrument  to  do  them  some 
good,  and  Thee  service;  and  many  of  them  have  set  too  high 
a  value  upon  me,  though  others  wish  and  would  be  glad  of 
my  death;  Lord,  however  Thou  dost  dispose  of  me,  continue 
and  go  on  to  do  good  for  them.  Give  them  consistency  of 
judgment,  one  heart,  and  mutual  love;  and  go  on  to  deliver 
them,  and  with  the  work  of  reformation;  and  make  the 
Name  of  Christ  glorious  in  the  world.  Teach  those  who 
look  too  much  on  Thy  instruments,  to  depend  more  upon 
Thyself.  Pardon  such  as  desire  to  trample  upon  the  dust  of 
a  poor  worm,  for  they  are  Thy  People  too.  And  pardon 
the  folly  of  this  short  Prayer: — even  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 
And  give  us  a  good  night,  if  it  be  Thy  pleasure.  Amen. 
— Oliver  Cromwell  (1599-1658). 

COMMENT  FOR  THE  WEEK 


Of  all  forces  in  human  life  that  go  to  the  making  of 
dominant  desire,  none  is  more  powerful  than  love.  Love  in 
the  family  circle  makes  the  mother's  dominant  desires  center 
about  the  children,  until  no  words  can  tell  how  cheap  she 
holds  her  own  life  and  how  dear  she  holds  theirs.  In  the 
nation  such  devotion  makes  patriots,  consuming  in  them 
selfishness  and  fear,  until  they  endure  for  their  country's 
sake  what  they  would  never  endure  for  their  own.  When 
one  ranges  through  biography  to  see  what  desire  has  meant 
in  men,  he  finds  not  only  the  sordid  Ahab,  the  avaricious 
Judas,  the  licentious  Herod,  the  ambitious  Felix ;  he  finds 
also  men  in  whom  devotion  to  people  and  to  causes  has  made 
dominant  desire  utterly  unselfish.  A  young  lad  named  Miiller, 
who  was  picked  up  from  the  river  after  the  burning  of  the 
"General  Slocum,"  bore  this  testimony :  "My  mother  gave 
me  a  life  preserver,  that's  how  I  got  saved.  I  guess  she 
didn't  have  none  herself,  'cause  they  can't  find  her."  Trace 
in  this  testimony  the  direction  of  that  mother's  dominant 
desire  1  So  the  controlling  wants  of  the  world's  devotees, 
from  mothers  to  martyrs,  have  been  unselfish.  Said  Gordon 
in  the  Soudan,  "I  declare,  if  I  could  stop  this  slave  traffic, 
I  would  willingly  be  shot  this  night."  Cried  John  Knox, 
"God,  give  me  Scotland,  or  I  die !" 

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[X-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

Indeed,  what  expression  of  dominant  desire  could  be  more 
natural  than  this  prayer  of  Knox?  The  tendency  to  pray  is 
shaken  into  action,  not  alone  by  crises  of  individual  need, 
but  by  hours  of  masterful  love.  Men  who  do  not  pray  for 
themselves  will  sometimes  pray  for  others;  fathers  who 
do  not  think  to  ask  God's  grace  on  their  own  lives,  find 
themselves  exclaiming,  "God  bless  my  son !"  If,  as  in  Paul, 
vital  trust  in  God  is  combined  with  devotion  to  a  cause,  the 
result  is  always  urgent,  intercessory  prayer.  "Unceasingly 
I  make  mention  of  you,  always  in  my  prayers"  (Rom.  1:9); 
"Always  in  every  supplication  of  mine  on  behalf  of  you  all 
making  my  supplication  with  joy"  (Phil,  i :  4)  ;  "I  .  .  .  cease 
not  to  give  thanks  for  you,  making  mention  of  you  in  my 
prayers"  (Eph.  i :  15,  16) — these  are  windows  through  which 
we  look  into  Paul's  habitual  intercession.  He  prays  for  the 
Jews — "My  heart's  desire  and  my  supplication  to  God  is  for 
them,  that  they  may  be  saved"  (Rom.  10:  i);  for  new  con- 
verts— "To  the  end  he  may  establish  your  hearts  unblamable 
in  holiness"  (I  Thess.  3:  13)  ;  for  the  church — that  they  may 
"walk  worthily  of  the  Lord  unto  all  pleasing,  bearing  fruit 
in  every  good  work"  (Col.  1:10).  When  dominant  desire 
becomes  unselfish  the  result  is  truly  represented  in  these 
prayers  of  Paul, 

II 

In  considering  the  meaning  of  this  sort  of  praying  we 
may  well  note,  first,  that  a  man  can  pray  unselfishly  for  him- 
self. Sir  Edward  Burne-Jones  put  significant  truth  into  his 
saying,  "There  is  only  one  religion :  'Make  the  most  of  your 
best  for  the  sake  of  others'  is  the  catholic  faith,  which  except 
a  man  believe  faithfully  he  cannot  be  saved."  All  that  we 
have  said  about  the  service  of  prayer  to  individual  character 
may  be  reaffirmed  here  as  part  of  the  unselfish  aspect  of 
prayer's  ministry.  When  the  Master  said,  "I  sanctify  my- 
self," he  was  not  selfish.  A  very  unselfish  motive  was 
behind  his  care  for  his  own  life.  "For  their  sakes  I  sanctify 
myself." 

The  vividness  with  which  this  motive  in  prayer  will  appeal 
to  any  man  depends  on  his  clear  perception  of  the  intimate 
ways  in  which  his  friends'  welfare  and  happiness  depend  on 
him.  Many  a  young  man,  rebuked  for  an  evil  in  his  life,  has 
answered  in  effect,  "My  habits  are  my  private  affair."  The 

182 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-c] 

reply  which  ought  to  be  made  to  such  a  statement  is  obvious : 
a  private  affair  is  precisely  what  your  habits  are  not.  Your 
habits  are  the  interest  of  everybody  else.  They  are  as  truly 
a  matter  of  social  concern,  if  not  of  social  control,  as  is 
the  tariff,  or  the  conflict  between  capital  and  labor.  No  man 
can  keep  the  consequences  of  any  evil  to  himself.  They  seep 
through  his  individual  life,  and  run  out  into  the  community. 
When  the  Scripture  says,  "Be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you 
out,"  it  does  not  mean  "will  be  found  out."  It  means  what 
it  says,  "will  find  you  out,"  track  you  down,  spoil  your  char- 
acter, destroy  your  happiness,  ruin  your  influence;  and  be- 
cause it  does  that,  it  will  find  your  friends  out,  will  tend  to 
pull  them  down  with  you,  will  surely  make  goodness  harder 
for  them,  and  within  your  family  circle  will  roll  upon  those 
who  love  you  a  burden  of  vicarious  suffering.  If  a  man  could 
sin  privately,  he  might  allow  himself  the  ignoble  self-indul- 
gence. But  he  cannot.  Somebody  else  always  is  involved. 
The  whole  world  is  involved,  for  the  man  has  deprived  the 
world  of  a  good  life  and  given  it  a  bad  life  instead.  Sinning, 
even  in  its  most  private  forms,  is  putting  poison  into  the 
public  reservoir,  and  sooner  or  later  everybody  is  the  worse 
for  the  pollution. 

A  man  then  has  the  choice  between  two  prayers.  Either  he 
will  pray  for  his  friends'  sake  and  his  family's,  for  the  sake 
of  the  girl  he  may  marry  and  the  children  he  may  beget,  for 
the  sake  of  the  commonwealth  and  the  Kingdom  which  he 
may  help  or  hinder,  that  he  may  defeat  his  temptations  and 
live  a  godly,  righteous,  and  useful  life ;  or  else  some  day  he 
will  be  driven  to  a  petition  of  the  sort  which  Shakespeare 
put  on  the  lips  of  Richard: 

"O  God !  if  my  deep  prayers  cannot  appease  thee 
But  thou  wilt  be  avenged  on  my  misdeeds, 
Yet  execute  thy  wrath  on  me  alone!" 

The  latter  is  always  a  hopeless  request.  God  cannot  grant  it. 
No  man  ever  yet  bore  all  the  consequences  of  his  own  sin. 
The  cross  is  a  universal  fact — symbol  of  the  suffering  brought 
on  those  who  have  not  done  the  wrong  by  those  who  have. 
To  pray  for  one's  life  in  the  light  of  this  fact  is  to  pray 
unselfishly. 
Moreover,  even  when  the  fight  with  definite  sin  does  not 

183 


[X-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

occupy  the  center  of  attention,  a  man  for  his  friends'  sake 
may  well  pray  against  the  emptiness  and  uselessness  of  his 
life,  and  may  well  seek  power  to  be  worth  as  much  as  pos- 
sible to  others.  Unselfishness  is  clearly  the  motive  of  such 
a  cry  for  blessing  as  we  have  in  the  sixty-seventh  Psalm : 
"God  be  merciful  unto  us,  and  bless  us,  and  cause  his  face 
to  shine  upon  its;  that  thy  way  may  be  known  upon  earth, 
thy  salvation  among  all  nations."  Wherever  real  friendship 
and  devotion  come,  prayer  takes  on  this  quality.  When 
Quintin  Hogg,  with  his  Polytechnic  Institute  on  his  heart, 
during  his  last  illness,  wrote,  "I  would  that  I  could  be  of 
some  use  to  my  boys,  instead  of  the  barren,  dried  up  old 
scarecrow  that  I  am !"  he  revealed  the  inevitable  result  of 
true  friendliness.  His  desire  to  be  at  his  best  was  motived 
by  his  love  for  "his  boys."  Here  we  face  the  real  trouble 
with  our  prayers.  Not  for  lack  of  a  satisfying  philosophy 
do  our  prayers  run  dry,  but  for  lack  of  love.  We  do  not 
care  enough  about  people  and  causes  to  pray  for  ourselves 
on  their  account.  Let  any  one  be  possessed  by  a  genuine 
devotion,  and  necessarily  he  will  rise  toward  that  union  of 
love  and  prayer  which  Mrs.  Browning  put  into  remember- 
able  words : 

"And  when  I  sue  God   for  myself 
He  hears  that  name  of  thine 
And  sees  within  my  eyes 
The  tears  of  two." 

Ill 

Unselfishness  in  prayer,  however,  never  has  been  and  never 
can  be  fully  satisfied  with  praying  for  ourselves  for  others' 
sakes.  It  involves  specifically  praying  for  others,  and  the 
more  deep  and  constraining  the  love,  the  more  natural  is 
the  definite  entreaty  for  God's  blessing  upon  our  friends. 
The  Master  is  our  example  here.  The  prayers  of  Jesus 
verbally  reported  in  the  Gospels,  are  not  many  in  number 
and  are  few  in  words ;  but  the  indications  of  his  habit  of 
intercession  are  abundant  and  convincing.  He  prays  for  the 
children — "Then  were  there  brought  unto  him  little  children, 
that  he  should  lay  his  hands  on  them,  and  pray"  (Matt. 
19:  13)  ;  for  the  sick — when  a  blind  man  is  to  be  healed,  we 
find  the  Master  "looking  up  to  heaven"  (Mark  7:34);  for 

184 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-cJ 

his  disciples — "Simon  ...  I  made  supplication  for  thee,  that 
thy  faith  fail  not"  (Luke  22:31,  32);  for  his  enemies — 
"Father,  forgive  them ;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do" 
(Luke  23 :  34)  ;  for  laborers  in  the  harvest,  since  he  must 
have  practiced  his  own  injunction — "Pray  ye  therefore  the 
Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  send  forth  laborers  into  his 
harvest"  (Luke  10:2)  ;  and  for  the  whole  community  of  his 
followers  to  the  end  of  time — "For  them  also  that  shall 
believe  on  me  through  their  word"  (John  17:20).  That  the 
most  unselfish  life  ever  lived  would  be  unselfish  in  prayer 
was  to  have  been  expected,  and  the  evidence  that  he  was  so 
is  clear. 

When  one,  endeavoring  to  catch  the  Master's  spirit,  con- 
siders the  various  effects  that  may  be  expected  from  this 
kind  of  praying,  he  sees  immediately  that  such  intercession 
sincerely  and  habitually  practiced,  will  have  notable  result  in 
the  one  who  prays.  How  much  experience  with  vicarious 
prayer  is  summed  up  in  that  revealing  verse  with  which  the 
book  of  Job  draws  toward  its  close,  "Jehovah  turned  the 
captivity  of  Job,  when  he  prayed  for  his  friends"  (Job 
42:  10).  Such  prayer  does  liberate.  It  carries  a  man  out  of 
himself;  it  brings  to  mind  the  names  and  needs  of  many 
friends,  making  the  heart  ready  for  service  and  the  imagina- 
tion apt  to  perceive  ways  of  helping  those  else  forgotten  and 
neglected ;  it  purges  a  man's  spirit  of  vindictive  moods  and 
awakens  every  gracious  and  fraternal  impulse.  As  William 
Law  put  it,  "Intercession  is  the  best  arbitrator  of  all  differ- 
ences, the  best  promoter  of  true  friendship,  the  best  cure 
and  preservative  against  all  unkind  tempers,  all  angry  and 
haughty  passions." 

For  another  thing  intercession  will  often  have  effect  in 
the  lives  of  those  on  whose  behalf  the  prayer  is  made,  if 
only  for  this  reason,  that  the  knowledge  that  his  friends  are 
praying  for  him  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  empowering 
influences  that  can  surround  any  man.  For  Peter  to  know 
that  the  Master  was  interceding  for  him  was  in  itself  what 
a  source  of  sustenance  and  strength !  They  say  that  Luther 
when  he  felt  particularly  strong  would  exclaim,  "I  feel  as  if 
I  were  being  prayed  for";  and  in  illustration  of  the  same 
truth,  John  G.  Paton,  the  missionary  to  the  New  Hebrides, 
writes  in  his  autobiography,  "I  have  heard  that  in  long  after 
years  the  worst  woman  in  the  village  of  Torthorwald,  then 

185 


[X-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

leading  an  immoral  life  but  since  changed  by  the  grace  of 
God,  was  known  to  declare  that  the  only  thing  that  kept  her 
from  despair  and  from  the  hell  of  the  suicide,  was  when  in 
the  dark  winter  nights  she  crept  close  up  underneath  my 
father's  window,  and  heard  him  pleading  in  family  worship 
that  God  would  convert  the  sinner  from  the  error  of  wicked 
ways  and  polish  him  as  a  jewel  for  the  Redeemer's  crown. 
...  'I  felt,'  said  she,  'that  I  was  a  burden  on  that  good  man's 
heart,  and  I  knew  that  God  would  not  disappoint  him.  That 
thought  kept  me.' " 

Many  lives  have  been  kept  by  knowledge  of  intercessions 
continually  offered  for  them;  and  one  need  know  only  a 
little  of  Christian  leaders,  with  their  urgent  requests  for  the 
support  of  their  friends'  prayers,  to  see  what  encouragement 
they  always  have  found  in  the  assurance  that  supplications 
were  offered  on  their  behalf.  Melanchthon  here  is  typical, 
rejoicing  over  his  accidental  discovery  that  children  were 
praying  for  the  Reformation.  Paul  writes,  "Brethren,  pray 
for  us"  (I  Thess.  5:25);  "Ye  also  helping  together  on  our 
behalf  by  your  supplication"  (II  Cor.  I :  n)  ;  "I  beseech 
you,  brethren,  .  .  .  that  ye  strive  together  with  me  in  your 
prayers  to  God  for  me"  (Rom.  15:30).  Cromwell  writes 
to  his  admirals  at  sea :  "You  have,  as  I  verily  believe  and 
am  persuaded,  a  plentiful  stock  of  prayers  going  for  you 
daily,  sent  up  by  the  soberest  and  most  approved  ministers 
and  Christians  in  this  nation;  and,  notwithstanding  some 
discouragements,  very  much  wrestling  of  faith  for  you ;  which 
is  to  us  and  I  trust  will  be  to  you,  a  matter  of  great  encourage- 
ment." 

IV 

In  addition  to  these  two  effects,  however,  Christians  have 
looked  to  intercession  for  a  far  more  vital  consequence. 
When  trust  in  God  and  love  for  men  co-exist  in  any  life, 
prqyer  for  others  inevitably  follows.  Deepening  intimacy 
with  God,  by  itself,  may  find  expression  in  quiet  communion ; 
enlarging  love  for  men,  alone,  may  utter  itself  in  serviceable 
deeds;  but  these  two  cannot  live  together  in  the  same  life 
\yithout  sometimes  combining  in  vicarious  prayer.  Now, 
such  prayer  always  has  been  offered,  not  as  a  formal  expres- 
sion of  well-wishing,  but  as  a  vital,  creative  contribution  to 
God's  good  purposes  for  men.  The  genuine  intercessors,  who 

186 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-c] 

in  costly  praying  have  thrown  their  personal  love  alongside 
God's  and  have  earnestly  claimed  blessings  for  their  friends, 
have  felt  that  they  were  not  playing  with  a  toy,  but  that  they 
were  somehow  using  the  creative  power  of  personality  in 
opening  ways  for  God  to  work  his  will.  They  have  been 
convinced  that  their  intercessions  wrought  consequences  for 
their  friends. 

In  this  generation,  however,  with  its  searching  doubts,  its 
honest  unwillingness  to  act  without  knowledge,  its  refusal 
even  when  faith  would  be  a  comfort  to  accept  faith  without 
good  reason,  this  projectile  power  of  intercession  has  to  many 
become  dubious.  One  reason  for  this  doubt  lies  in  the  in- 
adequate way  in  which  intercession  has  been  conceived  and 
preached.  To  some  people  it  seems  to  mean  that  one  person 
may  persuade  a  thoughtless  or  unwilling  God  to  do  something 
for  another  person.  A  popular  analogy  has  tended  to  keep 
alive  this  misconception.  God  in  many  ways,  so  runs  the 
analogy,  refuses  to  work  his  will  save  as  some  man  co- 
operates with  him.  The  home  life  suffers,  the  government 
becomes  corrupt,  the  non-Christian  world  goes  unevangelized 
until  men  come  to  God's  help.  So  intercessory  prayer  may 
be  another  way  in  which  God  waits  for  our  assistance.  If 
he  will  not  do  some  things  for  my  friend  until  I  work,  it 
may  be  that  he  will  not  do  other  things  until  I  pray. 

There  is  an  element  of  truth  in  this  analogy,  but  the 
limited  application  of  the  comparison  is  clear.  God  cannot 
save  my  family  life  without  my  cooperation,  because  he 
cannot  take  my  place  as  son  or  husband  or  father;  he  must 
work  through  me.  He  cannot  save  the  government  without 
men,  because  he  cannot  take  the  voter's  place;  he  must  work 
through  the  citizens.  And  in  the  evangelizing  of  China,  he 
cannot  go  as  a  missionary;  he  must  find  some  man  to  go. 
There  is  nothing  artificial  about  this  necessity  of  human 
cooperation;  it  belongs  to  the  nature  of  the  case.  But  that 
God  should  deliberately  withhold  from  a  man  in  China  some- 
thing that  he  is  free  to  give  to  him,  and  should  continue  to 
withhold  it  until  it  occurs  to  me  to  ask  him  to  bestow  it, 
looks  like  an  arbitrary  proceeding.  It  argues  imperfect  good- 
ness in  God.  No  true  father  would  keep  from  one  child  a 
blessing  that  the  child  has  a  right  to  and  that  the  father  is 
free  to  give,  simply  because  he  waits  for  another  child  to 
ask  for  its  bestowal.  The  trouble  with  such  an  idea  of  inter- 

187 


[X-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

cession  is  not  simply  intellectual;  it  is  moral.  That  one 
individual,  myself,  should  try  to  persuade  another  individual, 
God,  to  do  for  a  third  individual,  my  friend,  something 
which  the  second  individual,  God,  had  not  thought  of,  or 
was  intending  otherwise,  or  was  arbitrarily  withholding  until 
I  asked  to  have  it  given,  plainly  involves  a  thought  of  deity 
with  pagan  elements  in  it.  And  many  people  feeling  this 
have  given  up  intercession  as  unreasonable. 

V 

This  surrender  of  reality,  however,  because  it  is  explained 
in  an  inadequate  form  of  thought,  is  never  a  solution  of 
any  problem.  With  or  without  adequate  interpretations  of 
vicarious  prayer,  earnest  Christians  in  their  intercessions  are 
about  a  serious  and  reasonable  business,  whose  sources  lie 
deep  in  the  needs  of  human  life.  A  clear  and  rational  belief 
in  intercession  must  start  with  two  truths :  first,  the  Christian 
Gospel  about  God;  and  second,  the  intimate  relationships  that 
make  the  world  of  persons  an  organic  whole. 

As  to  the  first,  the  Christian  God  desires  the  welfare  of  all 
men  everywhere;  his  love  is  boundless  in  extent  and  indi- 
vidual in  application;  his  purpose  of  good  sweeps  through 
creation,  comprehending  every  child  of  his  and  laboring  for 
a  transformed  society  on  earth  and  in  the  heavens.  This,  as 
Paul  says,  is  "the  eternal  purpose  which  he  purposed  in 
Christ."  Nothing  that  we  ever  dreamed  of  good  for  any  man 
or  for  the  race  has  touched  the  garment's  hem  of  the  good 
which  he  purposes  and  toward  which  he  works.  He  is  not 
an  individual  after  the  fashion  of  a  pagan  deity,  who,  like 
Baal,  must  be  awakened  from  his  sleep  and  besought  to  do 
good  deeds  for  men.  Rather  every  dim  and  flickering  desire 
our  hearts  ever  have  known  for  mankind's  good  has  been 
lighted  at  the  central  fire  of  his  eternal  passion  for  the 
salvation  of  his  children.  As  Whittier  sang  it : 

"All  that  I  feel  of  pity  thou  hast  known 
Before  I  was;  my  best  is  all  thy  own. 
From  thy  great  heart  of  goodness  mine  but  drew 
Wishes  and  prayers ;  but  thou,  O  Lord,  wilt  do, 
In  thine  own  time,  by  ways  I  cannot  see, 
All  that  I  feel  when  I  am  nearest  thee!" 

Such  is  the  Christian  God. 

188 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-c] 

When  men  go  up  to  such  a  God  in  vicarious  prayer,  their 
intercession  must  mean  casting  themselves  in  with  the  eternal 
purpose  of  the  Father  for  his  children,  "laying  hold  on 
God,"  not  to  call  him  to  ministry,  as  though  he  needed  that, 
but  to  be  carried  along  with  him  in  his  desire  for  all  men's 
good.  Nothing  is  more  wanted  in  the  world  than  such  inter- 
cession. The  title  of  Dr.  Mott's  address  "Intercessors — the 
Primary  Need,"  is  clearly  the  statement  of  a  fact.  God 
wants  men  to  lay  hold  on  him  in  inward  prayer,  aligning 
their  dominant  desires  with  his,  until  their  intercession  be- 
comes the  effective  ally  of  his  will.  As  in  an  irrigation 
system,  with  its  many  reticulated  channels,  the  sluice-gate 
would  not  plead  with  the  reservoir  to  remember  its  for- 
gotten power  of  doing  good,  but  rather,  feeling  the  urge 
of  the  ready  water,  would  desire  to  be  opened,  that  through 
it  the  waiting  stream  might  find  an  entrance  into  all  the 
fields  and  the  will  of  the  reservoir  be  done — so  men  should 
pray  to  God. 

As  to  the  second  truth  which  underlies  the  reasonableness 
of  intercession — persons  are  not  separate  individuals  merely, 
like  grains  of  sand  in  a  bag,  but,  as  Paul  says,  are  "mem- 
bers one  of  another."  The  ganglia  of  a  nervous  system 
are  hardly  more  intimately  related  and  more  interdependent 
than  are  people  in  this  closely  reticulated  system  of  personal 
life.  As  Professor  Everett  once  put  it:  "We  ask  the  leaf, 
are  you  complete  in  yourself  ?  and  the  leaf  answers,  No, 
my  life  is  in  the  branches.  We  ask  the  branch,  and  the 
branch  answers,  No,  my  life  is  in  the  trunk.  We  ask  the 
trunk,  and  it  answers,  No,  my  life  is  in  the  root.  We  ask 
the  root,  and  it  answers,  No,  my  life  is  in  the  trunk  and  the 
branches  and  the  leaves.  Keep  the  branches  stripped  of 
leaves  and  I  shall  die.  So  it  is  with  the  great  tree  of  being. 
Nothing  is  completely  and  merely  individual."  The  more 
we  know  about  personality,  the  less  possible  it  is  to  draw 
clear  circles  about  each  of  us,  partitioning  us  off  from  one 
another.  We  all  run  into  each  other,  like  interflowing  rivu- 
lets, with  open  channels,  above  ground  and  subterranean, 
connecting  all  of  us.  Even  telepathy  may  prove  to  be  true. 
So  that  if  a  man  believes  in  God,  in  whom  all  live  and  move 
and  have  their  being,  there  is  no  basis  for  denying  the  possi- 
bility that  prayer  may  open  ways  of  personal  influence  even 
at  a  distance.  Personality,  at  its  best,  in  its  thinking  and 

189 


[X-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

working  is  creative,  and  when  in  this  love-system  of  persons, 
a  soul  throws  in  its  dominant  desire  alongside  God's,  no  one 
easily  can  set  boundaries  to  that  prayer's  influence. 

Indeed,  there  are  certain  aspects  of  intercessory  praying 
where  the  consequences  are  plain.  It  is  not  a  theory  but  a 
fact  empirically  demonstrable,  that  if  in  any  community  a 
large  number  of  earnest  Christians  unite  in  unselfish  praying 
for  a  revival  of  religious  interest,  that  revival  is  sure  to 
come.  This  can  be  tested  anywhere  at  any  time,  if  earnest 
men  and  women  are  there  to  do  the  praying.  To  say  that 
this  effect  is  simply  psychological,  is  only  another  way  of 
saying  that  God  has  so  ordained  psychological  laws  that 
vicarious  praying  by  a  group  of  earnest  people  does  bring 
results.  So  far  from  depreciating  the  value  of  intercession, 
this  fact  gives  to  it  the  stability  of  a  universal  law.  If 
names  the  conditions  under  which  God  does  his  most  effective 
work  through  men.  "For  many  years,"  says  Dr.  Mott,  "it 
has  been  my  practice  in  traveling  among  the  nations  to  make 
a  study  of  the  sources  of  the  spiritual  movements  which  are 
doing  most  to  vitalize  and  transform  individuals  and  com- 
munities. At  times  it  has  been  difficult  to  discover  the 
hidden  spring,  but  invariably  where  I  have  had  the  time  and 
patience  to  do  so,  I  have  found  it  in  an  intercessory  prayer- 
life  of  great  reality." 

While  our  minds  are  insufficient  for  the  task  of  seeing  to 
its  end  the  explanation  of  intercession's  power,  our  ex- 
perience is  clear  that  something  creative  is  being  done  when 
in  this  unitary  system  of  personal  life  human  souls  take  on 
themselves  God's  burden  for  men,  and  in  vicarious  prayer 
throw  themselves  in  with  his  sacrificial  purpose.  "Surely 
the  man  who  joins  himself  with  God,"  writes  Professor  Coe. 
"does  not  leave  the  universe  just  where  it  was  before.  All 
things  are  bound  together  into  unity.  I  drop  a  pebble  from 
my  hand ;  it  falls  to  earth,  but  the  great  earth  rises  to  meet 
it.  They  seek  a  common  center  of  gravity,  determined  by 
the  mass  of  one  as  truly  as  by  that  of  the  other.  You 
cannot  change  any  one  thing  without  changing  something 
else  also.  The  man  who  prays  changes  the  center  of  gravity 
of  the  world  of  persons.  Other  persons  will  be  different 
as  well  as  himself,  and  he  could  not  have  produced  this 
difference  by  any  other  means  than  this  union  of  himself 
with  God." 

190 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-c] 

But  no  explanation,  however  reasonable,  can  do  justice  to 
the  experience  of  vicarious  praying.  To  feel  that,  we  must 
turn  to  life.  When  a  mother  prays  for  her  wayward  son, 
no  words  can  make  clear  the  vivid  reality  of  her  supplications. 
Her  love  pours  itself  out  in  insistent  demand  that  her  boy 
must  not  be  lost.  She  is  sure  of  his  value,  with  which  no 
outward  thing  is  worthy  to  be  compared,  and  of  his  possi- 
bilities which  no  sin  of  his  can  ever  make  her  doubt.  She 
will  not  give  him  up.  She  follows  him  through  his  abandon- 
ment down  to  the  gates  of  death;  and  if  she  loses  him 
through  death  into  the  mystery  beyond,  she  still  prays  on 
in  secret,  with  intercessions  which  she  may  not  dare  to 
utter,  that  wherever  in  the  moral  universe  he  may  be,  God 
will  reclaim  him.  As  one  considers  such  an  experience  of 
vicarious  praying,  he  sees  that  it  is  not  merely  resignation 
to  the  will  of  God;  it  is  urgent  assertion  of  a  great  desire. 
She  does  not  really  think  that  she  is  persuading  God  to  be 
good  to  her  son,  for  the  courage  in  her  prayer  is  due  to  her 
certain  faith  that  God  also  must  wish  that  boy  to  be  recovered 
from  his  sin.  She  rather  is  taking  on  her  heart  the  same 
burden  that  God  has  on  his;  is  joining  her  demand  with  the 
divine  desire.  In  this  system  of  personal  life  which  makes 
up  the  moral  universe,  she  is  taking  her  place  alongside  God 
in  an  urgent,  creative  outpouring  of  sacrificial  love. 

Now,  this  mother  does  not  know  and  cannot  know  just 
what  she  is  accomplishing  by  her  prayers.  But  we  know  that 
such  mothers  save  their  sons  when  all  others  fail.  The 
mystery  of  prayer's  projectile  force  is  great,  but  the  cer- 
tainty of  such  prayer's  influence,  one  way  or  another,  in 
working  redemption  for  needy  lives,  is  greater  still.  It  may 
be,  as  we  have  said,  that  God  has  so  ordained  the  laws  of 
human  interrelationship  that  we  can  help  one  another  not 
alone  by  our  deeds  but  also  directly  by  our  thoughts,  and 
that  earnest  prayer  may  be  the  exercise  of  this  power  in  its 
highest  terms.  But  whether  that  mother  has  ever  argued  out 
the  theory  or  not,  she  still  prays  on.  Her  intercession  is 
the  utterance  of  her  life ;  it  is  love  on  its  knees. 

VI 

Let  any  man  of  prayerless  life,  or  of  a  life  in  which  prayer, 
an  untrained  tendency,  is  nothing  more  than  an  occasional 

191 


[X-c]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

cry  of  selfish  need,  consider  himself  in  the  light  of  this  ideal 
of  unselfish  praying.  To  pray  for  himself  for  the  sake  of 
others,  and  to  pray  in  vicarious  entreaty  for  his  friends,  his 
enemies,  and  all  mankind — this  ministry  he  has  denied.  Let 
him  not  hide  his  real  and  inward  lack  of  the  intercessory 
spirit  behind  any  confusion  of  mind  about  the  theory.  If  a 
man  honestly  seeks  the  reason  why  a  prayer  like  that  of 
Moses  is  not  easily  conceivable  upon  his  own  lips,  "Oh,  this 
people  have  sinned  a  great  sin.  .  .  .  Yet  now,  if  thou  wilt 
forgive  their  sin — and  if  not,  blot  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  thy 
book  which  thou  hast  written"  (Ex.  32:31,  32),  he  sees  that 
the  difference  between  Moses  and  himself  is  mainly  one  of 
moral  passion.  We  have  no  such  high  and  commanding 
desires  as  Moses  had;  our  wishes  are  lame  and  weak  and 
petty  compared  with  his ;  if  every  mental  perplexity  were 
overcome,  we  still  should  lack  the  spirit  out  of  which  such 
prayers  spontaneously  pour.  Supposing  that  we  knew  exactly 
and  held  completely  the  Master's  theory  of  prayer ;  is  there 
any  man  for  whom  we  care  enough  to  pray  as  Jesus  did  for 
Peter?  Is  there  any  cause  that  could  call  from  us  his  cry: 
"O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem  1" 

The  chief  obstacles  to  intercession  are  moral.  We  live  for 
what  we  can  get;  our  dominant  desires  are  selfish.  The 
main  current  of  us  runs  in  the  channel  of  our  mean  ambi- 
tions, and  our  thoughts  of  other  people  and  of  great  causes 
are  but  occasional  eddies  on  the  surface  of  the  stream.  Even 
when  we  do  succeed  in  praying  for  our  friends,  our  country, 
or  the  Kingdom,  we  are  often  giving  lip-service  to  conven- 
tionality; we  are  not  expressing  our  urgent  and  continual 
demand  on  life.  Our  prayers  are  hypocrites.  If  the  cause 
we  pray  for  should  suddenly  take  form  and  ask  of  us  our 
share  in  the  achievement  of  our  own  entreaty,  we  would 
dodge  and  run.  All  such  intercession  is  clanging  brass. 
"Our  prayers  must  mean  something  to  us,"  said  Maltbie 
Babcock,  "if  they  are  to  mean  anything  to  God." 

Before  a  man  therefore  blames  his  lack  of  intercession  on 
intellectual  perplexities,  he  well  may  ask  whether,  if  all  his 
questions  were  fully  answered,  he  has  the  spirit  that  would 
pour  itself  out  in  vicarious  praying.  Is  his  heart  really  sur- 
charged with  pent  devotion  waiting  to  find  vent  in  prayer  as 
soon  as  the  logic  of  intercession  is  made  evident?  Rather,  it 
is  highly  probable  that  if  his  last  interrogation  point  were 

192 


UNSELFISHNESS  IN  PRAYER  [X-s] 

laid  low  by  a  strong  answer,  he  would  intercede  not  one 
whit  more  than  he  does  now.  Intercession  is  the  result  of 
generous  devotion,  not  of  logical  analysis.  When  such  devo- 
tion comes  into  the  life  of  any  man  who  vitally  believes  in 
God,  like  a  rising  stream  in  a  dry  river  bed  it  lifts  the 
obstacles  at  whose  removal  he  had  tugged  in  vain,  and  floats 
them  off.  The  unselfish  prayer  of  dominant  desire  clears  its 
own  channel.  We  put  our  lives  into  other  people  and  into 
great  causes;  and  our  prayers  follow  after,  voicing  our 
love,  with  theory  or  without  it.  We  lay  hold  on  God's 
alliance  for  the  sake  of  the  folk  we  care  for  and  the  aims 
we  serve.  We  do  it  because  love  makes  us,  and  we  con- 
tinue it  because  the  validity  of  our  praying  is  proved  in  our 
experience.  St.  Anthony  spoke  to  the  point,  "We  pray  as 
much  as  we  desire,  and  we  desire  as  much  as  we  love." 
Of  such  intercession  it  is  true, 

"More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
Than  this  world  dreams  of.     Wherefore,  let  thy  voice 
Rise  like  a  fountain  for  me  night  and  day. 
For  what  are  men  better  than  sheep  and  goats 
That  nourish  a  blind  life  within  the  brain, 
If,  knowing  God,  they  lift  not  hands  of  prayer 
Both  for  themselves  and  those  who  call  them  friend? 
For  so  the  whole  round  earth  is  every  way 
Bound  by  gold  chains  about  the  feet  of  God." 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THOUGHT  AND  DISCUSSION 

How  far  can  a  man  say:  "It  is  nobody  else's  concern,  what 
I  do"? 

Is  there  a  person  so  far  away  that  no  act  of  mine  can 
touch  him? 

Is  there  anything  which  a  person  can  ask  for  in  prayer 
which  concerns  nobody  but  himself? 

When  can  a  person  really  pray  the  Lord's  Prayer? 

When  is  a  prayer  for  personal  needs  an  unselfish,  prayer? 
What  are  the  results  of  unselfish  prayer?    ' 
What  does  prayer  accomplish  for  the  man  who  prays? 
193 


[X-s]  THE  MEANING  OF  PRAYER 

Why  does  the  knowledge  that  others  are  praying  for  him 
help  a  man?  How  far  is  this  a  sufficient  reason  for  un- 
selfish prayer? 

"Can  prayer  accomplish  anything  apart  from  the  man  who 
prays?"  What  kind  of  answers  have  we  a  right  to  expect? 

Why  is  it  necessary  to  intercede  with  a  loving  God  for 
human  needs? 

What  is   really  accomplished  by   intercessory  prayer? 

What  place  has  reason  and  what  place  experiment  in  deter- 
mining the  results  of  prayer? 

Why  do  men  fail  to  practice  intercession? 


194 


SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY 


I.    DISCUSSIONS  OF  VARIOUS  ASPECTS  OF  PRAYER 

"PRAYER.    WHAT  IT  is  AND  WHAT  IT  DOES,"  by  Samuel  Mc- 

Comb.     A  brief  but   worthy  treatment  of   the  personal 

effects  of  habitual  prayer. 
"CONQUERING  PRAYER,"  by  L.  Swetenham. 

A  valuable  essay  on  the  relationships  between  prayer  and 

character. 
"THE  POWER  OF  PRAYER,"  by  Forsythe  and  Greenwell. 

Two  brief  essays  of  real  insight  from  a  deeply  religious 

point  of  view. 
"THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  PRAYER,"  by  Anna  Louise  Strong. 

A  Ph.  D.  thesis  on  the  psychological  aspects  of  prayer. 
"THE  PRAYERS  OF  THE  BIBLE,"  by  John  Edgar  McFadyen. 

A   stimulating  treatment  of  the   subject,   with   a  topical 

catalogue  of  Scriptural  prayers. 

"THE  CHRISTIAN   DOCTRINE  OF  PRAYER,"  by  James  Freeman 
Clarke. 

Somewhat  out  of  date  in  many  of  its  positions  but  still 

suggestive. 
"THE  DOUBLE  SEARCH,"  by  Rufus  M.  Jones. 

Two  vital  essays  on  Atonement  and  Prayer — God's  search 

for  man  and  man's  search  for  God. 
"PRAYER,  ITS  NATURE  AND  SCOPE,"  by  H.  Clay  Trumbull. 

Written  in  a  popular  vein  but  with  more  than  ordinary 

good   sense. 

"THE   PLACE  OF   PRAYER   IN   THE   CHRISTIAN    RELIGION,"   by 
James  M.  Campbell. 

One  of  the  best  studies  of  the  New  Testament  passages 

on  prayer. 
"COMMUNION  WITH  GOD,"  by  Wilhelm  Herrman. 

Solid    theological   reading   after   the   German    style   and 

very  rewarding. 

195 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

II.    DEVOTIONAL  TREATMENT  OF  PRAYER 

"THE  STILL  HOUR,"  by  Austin  Phelps. 

A  well-known  devotional  classic. 
"PRAYER  AND  ACTION,"  by  E.  E.  Holmes. 

Written   for  Lenten  reading  in  the   Diocese  of  London 

and  in  parts  very  suggestive. 

"WITH    CHRIST    IN    THE    SCHOOL    OF    PRAYER,"    by    Andrew 
Murray. 

A  well-known  book  of  meditations  on  prayer. 


III.    COLLECTIONS  OF  PRAYERS 

"PRAYERS,  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN,"  by  Mrs.  Mary  W.  Tileston. 
"THE  COMMUNION  OF  PRAYER,"  by  William  Boyd  Carpenter, 

Bishop  of   Ripon. 
"PRAYERS  OF  THE  SOCIAL  AWAKENING,"  by  Walter  Rauschen- 

busch. 

"A  CHAIN  OF  PRAYERS  ACROSS  THE  AGES/'  by  S.  F.  Fox. 
"THE  TEMPLE,"  by  W.  E.  Orchard. 
"A  BOOK  OF  PRAYERS,"  by  Samuel  McComb. 
"A  BOOK  OF  PUBLIC  PRAYERS,"  by  Henry  Ward  Beecher. 


196 


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